Atlas Stumbled
by FleetofWarships
Summary: In the aftermath of a nuclear Great War all of the kingdoms are rebuilding, save Atlas. Atlas has shut itself off from outside contact and has devolved into a walled in cesspool of class divisions and systematic racism. Could two elite soldiers, a revolutionary, and a heiress save this reeling kingdom?
1. The Ideal

Snow piled up in drifts, feet deep in some cases, but it wasn't all snow, some of it didn't melt and was more grey than white. Everyone knew that the ash falls were getting worse. It was an unspoken fact and one that Blake acknowledged from the cafe window. Gazing out on the neon lit streets she seemed to be deep in thought but that was just to distract people from the fact that she was waiting for something.

 _"He's running late, I wonder if Ilia is holding him up,"_ her thoughts were interrupted by a brief red flash from the tenth floor of an abandoned server building across the busy intersection from the cafe.

 _"About time."_

She quickly left the cafe, the brisk air causing her cat ears to twitch beneath the bow she wore to hide them. Ducking through traffic she made it to the building and scaled the fire escape in the back alley too quick for the eye to follow almost leaving an after image behind her.

"What took you so long?" Blake demanded of her partners in crime as she burst into the room the signal had been sent from.

"Sorry, traffic was a bitch," Ilia spoke nonchalantly from a folding chair in the corner.

"And if by traffic you mean yourself then you're exactly right!" Sun groaned.

"Just tell me what happened so we can get on with this mission," Blake sighed having had to deal with the two other Faunus's antics since they'd been transferred into her command almost a year ago.

"I grabbed a bagel," Ilia said holding up one of the breakfast pastries.

"She didn't have breakfast yet," Sun added.

"That's why I got two bagels," Ilia said pulling out another.

"Whatever, we're still on schedule for the mission," Blake dismissed the argument.

"I wouldn't call it a mission per se, more like internalized sabotage."

"She's right about that, we're literally stopping a supply convoy of our own people."

"It's for the greater good, things will only get worse if Adam gets his way."

"And why's that again?" Ilia asked.

"Because he wants to wipe out humans and use the firepower that Atlas has stockpiled to finish what the Great War started."

"How do we even know the other kingdoms are still out there? This global cutoff thing has been going for longer than we've been alive," Sun shrugged gesturing in the general direction of the massive walls surrounding the city on all sides.

"Because we wouldn't still be exporting what little industry we have and there wouldn't be any economy to speak of, it's only us lower classes that can't access the outside world. I'm sure Ironwood is up there in his penthouse chatting it up with some rich folks from Menagerie or Vale."

"Pfft, Menagerie? That's a myth, a whole kingdom for the Faunus could never happen with the way humans treat us," Ilia shook her head.

"It exists, I'm sure of it."

"Whatever, back to the mission, sabotage, whatever we want to call it," Sun said impatiently.

"We're blowing up the convoy, make it seem like an accident. They'll be going straight over a gas main as they pass the SDC office building around the block, that's when we'll hit them. Cause as much collateral to the building as possible, but no civilian casualties if possible."

"When do I have to place the charges? It's always me that places the charges," Ilia muttered.

"Not today, I already handled it last night," Blake said reassuring Ilia she wouldn't have to go back in the sewers.

"Thank Oum."

"If that's it can we suit up now? My tail is freezing off."

"Fine, get out of here Sun, no peeking," Blake shooed Sun out of the room as he grabbed the modified infiltrator suit that they'd stolen from the White Fangs stash which they'd stolen from a military research lab.

Once the three of them met up in the hall all wearing the sleek, black armored suits they made their way to one of the many smashed windows leading out to the lower rooftops. Making their way from building to building they heard the radio chatter of the White Fang convoy through the suit's radio as the trucks grew closer.

"Now we just wait for them to get here," Blake said once they reached the rooftop across the street from the place she'd set the bombs.

"Let's hope this works," Ilia muttered.

"It will, so long as nothing unexpected happens."

The trucks rolled down the street, minutes from the target location their drivers and occupants completely unaware of their eminent betrayal.

Blake put her hand on the bombs trigger.

 _Click_

* * *

"Crap," Ruby complained realizing her rifle had jammed.

"You havin some trouble there sis?" Yang asked from a station down at the firing range where she was looking down the sights of her own gun.

"I hate these mass produced pieces of garbage, the ones we'll be assigned once we report for our first assignment as members of the Schutz!"

"You know it, you're guaranteed designated marksman for sure," Yang praised her sisters markmanship skills.

"Yeah but you'll definitely be our enforcer, nobody else could handle close quarters like you," Ruby said complimenting Yang's ability to handle an armed target in confined areas.

"Commander on deck!" The firing instructor ordered the recruits in the firing range to attention as none other than General Ironwood himself entered along with his attendants and guards.

The row of young soldiers turned from the firing tables and stood at attention as the general strolled down the line inspecting each of them individually.

"Tight groupings Rose," the general commented barely glancing at the target that had just been pulled in from the range.

"Thank you sir," Ruby said as she stood rigidly.

The greying haired general stepped back to the center of the room facing the recently graduated recruits.

"At ease," the recruits relaxed but remained alert, "I know that many of you have been awaiting this day for years, some of you only enlisted because it was your only option, but know this: if you weren't the best of the best you wouldn't be here, you'd be working private security instead," the generals joke got chuckles out of some of the recruits, "If you received a notice from me within the past two weeks step forward."

Ruby, Yang, and five others of the three dozen recruits stepped up as ordered.

"No get out, wait in formation outside."

Ruby's mind raced, _"What did we do wrong, why aren't we being promoted, are we doomed to wall patrol?"_

"Relax sis, I'm sure there's a good reason for this," Yang whispered setting a gentle hand on her nervous siblings shoulder.

Inside the firing range the remaining soldiers cringed as Ironwood snarled at them for their subpar performance since their graduation, half of them having boasted about it, others using it for their own gain. He called out specific examples and scolded them for their shameful behavior.

"You are undeserving of the stature that being a member of the elite Schutz unit brings, you are all dismissed to base duties, you will recieve your permanent unit assignments next week and you will not be promoted to Schutz status," Ironwood turned sharply and marched out of the room leaving the disgraced cadets to think on what he'd just said, some were in tears, others were still at attention determined to redeem themselves.

In the hall General Ironwood stopped in front of the seven other recruits.

"You all passed with flying colors, congratulations on your admission into the Schutz unit. You know where your barracks are. You will recieve your assignments in two hours. Dismissed," Ironwood proceeded down the hall and once out of sight the just promoted soldiers cheered and celebrated their new position in the elite of Atlas's military.

"Yeah! We did it Yang! Time to finally make a difference," Ruby embraced her sister.

Yang pulled Ruby in for a tight bear hug, "We sure did Rubes, we'll fix this place eventually."

"Yeah, now lets go check out these new barracks!"

The barracks were a fairly spartan affair, small but still comfortable enough for the four people who would be staying there and with significantly more privacy and space than the basic barracks, a luxury when compared to their old place. A delivery drone arrived at the door with four crates stacked into its hollow chassis.

"These must be our uniforms," one of their barrack mates said taking the box addressed to him.

"Nice, we're gonna look so cool," Ruby said opening the large but light box.

Inside were three things, a stack of three dress uniforms in the style of the Schutz, a stack of active duty uniforms, and another box beneath the clothes.

"Ah, these will be our armor and weapons," Yang said as she cracked open the case with a hiss.

Within Yang's case was a set of thick white armor similar to the designs the riot patrol squads wore, beneath the armor was a specialist issue automatic shotgun complimented by a baton and a standard sidearm. Ruby's case held lighter armor unique to the marksmen of Atlas's military, beneath the armor was a heavy designated marksman's rifle designed for medium to far range with high accuracy along with a small knife and a machine pistol for close quarters. After donning their new active duty uniforms Yang and Ruby admired themselves and each other in a small mirror mounted in the shared bathroom of the barracks room.

"We look good," Yang said twisting to see how the built in ammo pouch fit against her hip.

"Ooh, there's a magnetic clip on the back to remove the need for a sling," Ruby said feeling around the slightly bulkier back portion of her tactical chest plate.

"This is decent armor, I could probably take a couple direct shots from my own shotgun before it gives out."

"I could take some shots in the back but the rest is better suited for small arms fire and less actual assault weapons," Ruby muttered feeling the thin alloy making up the armor.

"You won't be right in the action though, I'll be handling the closer stuff like breaching, you'll be covering my back, or if you're staking our an enemy position I'll be watching yours."

"I guess it just depends, let's just hope."

Ruby shrugged and clipped the new rifle onto her back and slid the machine pistol into its holster on her left shoulder and her knife into its sheathe at her waist. Yang did the same with her own weapons and stretched briefly to get a feel for the new uniform.

"We should be getting our assignment any time now," Ruby said stifling a yawn of boredom.

"There it is!" Yang said as the notification hit her commincator.

"I just realized we didn't get helmets," Ruby said as Yang read through the mission assignment.

"It says we'll get them when we report for transport to the target location. Our mission is to provide escort and protection for a valuable VIP moving through the south eastern sector on a tour of industrial locations. The target is Weiss Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company, she'll be doing a survey of the factories and offices in the area."

"Eh, not exactly my first pick for our first mission as the Atlas elite but at least it's easy, not like a bunch of White Fang are going to attack, right?"

* * *

"Leaving so soon?"

Weiss turned to see her brother Whitley coming from around one of many pillars lining the halls of the massive Schnee family manor.

"And what exactly is your reason for delaying me, Whitley?" Weiss said through gritted teeth already annoyed by the fact that she was running two minutes late.

"What? I can't see my dear, beloved, sister off on her first official work for the company?"

"You can but I would much rather leave now and get it over with."

"If you insist sister, if you insist," Whitley cooed and backed away allowing Weiss to exit through the doors of the main hall and enter the waiting limo outside.

Weiss continued out through the doors and entered the pure white limo awaiting her. Inside the limo was only one other person, an assistant who would be answering any questions she had during the inspection.

"You can go now driver."

"Yes ma'am."

They drove on in silence until they reached the first building halfway across the city.

"Here she comes," Yang whispered to Ruby as the limo they had been instructed was carrying their target rounded the corner.

"Got it," Ruby nodded.

The limo pulled up the curb and parked, the driver stayed inside as Weiss and the assistant exited.

"You're our escort?" Weiss asked knowing that she had been provided an escort for the trip through the less orderly areas of the city.

"Yes ma'am, Private First Class Xiao Long reporting for duty!"

"Private First Class Rose reporting for duty!"

"Schutz unit correct? I was assured I'd be provided the best protection available."

"Yes ma'am, we graduated this morning."

"Explains the rank, you'll do for today and if you do well I might request you specifically next time."

Weiss's offer was a big deal as getting requested as an escort could easily help you climb the ranks and pay grades, corporate sponsorships had helped many of their commanding officers land their positions this way.

"Understood," Yang nodded.

"Good, now I'm sure you're aware of our schedule for today?"

"Yes, tour three different locations until two then lunch until four and lastly four more locations until six at which point we will escort you to a meeting with your father at which point we will return to base and your fathers private guards will take over," Ruby recited.

"Perfect, now let us begin," Weiss led the way towards the towering office building's entrance with the two sisters on either side and the assistant behind her.

Ruby turned to adjust her new helmet and seeing a flash of darkness across the rooftops across the street she activating the magnifier on the holographic visor and seeing nothing upon inspection continued on. Reaching the door the assistant stepped forward to open the door with her employee keycard, the voice activation didn't work however as the noise of a group of delivery trucks passing drowned her out. The next thing any of them saw was flames as the gas main beneath the street exploded turning the trucks into thousands of chunks of torn metal and shrapnel, Yang and Ruby instinctively dived on top of Weiss covering her from the flames and shrapnel flying overhead. The flames died down leaving a crater in the street and three of the six trucks mostly intact. Looking up Yang saw that the assistant had been blown through the window and shredded against a wall inside by a truck door sent flying by the explosion. Ruby staggered to her feet and checking Weiss's pulse determine she was okay despite being unconscious.

"She's good but this could be an attack we need to get her to safety!" Ruby said to Yang.

"Yeah, I'll carry her you cover me!" Yang said lifting the frail heiress and carrying her through the shattered glass doors.

Ruby looked around and saw that the doors of the remaining trucks were opening and armed men wearing the uniforms of the rebel faction called the White Fang were spilling out. Aiming down the scope of her rifle Ruby prepared to take a shot on the leading member of the group but he was shot before she could pull the trigger. Looking around Ruby saw a group of three people wearing modified infiltrator suits attacking the White Fang. Not caring about it Ruby turned and ran inside after her sister as their primary concern was defending the assigned target.

"Ruby! In here!" Yang shouted from down a dimly lit corridor before ducking inside a small room.

Inside Yang had Weiss propped against the wall directly across from the door. Ruby turned and locked the door behind her and crouched beside her sister to check the girls pulse again.

"Her heart is going kinda fast but she should be fine, some minor head trauma maybe, there'll definitely be bruises but nothing major."

"That's good, didn't want to fail our first mission ya know?"

"That would suck."

The gunshots began to die down outside and Ruby moved to check the door and heard rushing footsteps outside.

"Let's just stay here for now," Ruby suggested.

"Good idea, backup will get here eventually," Yang said.

"There were at least forty guys out there, all armed, we can't take on that many and I'm guessing those people in infiltrator suits got taken out too."

"Infiltrator suits, aren't those like top secret?"

"Yeah but a lab that was developing them got attacked by the Fang a couple weeks back so anyone could have the design now, and those guys definitely weren't White Fang."

"Duh."

More rushing footsteps were heard outside then gunshots and slamming doors.

"I wonder what's happening out there."

"Don't know Rubes, but we're not supposed to get involve, Weiss is our only priority right now."

"Yeah but people could be getting killed!"

"We have to follow orders."

"I know but orders are stupid sometimes."

Outside the flames of the burning trucks had begun to die down, their cargo of dust and weapons having been burnt to ashes moments ago, and through the fading smoke a foreboding figure stepped, Adam Taurus leader of the White Fang in his usual suit slightly burnt and tattered by the explosion but the rest of him unharmed. Stepping over a body belonging to one of his former allies he continued inside and cut down a staggering security guard with a lightning quick strike of his sword.

"Shit, Adam's here!" Sun said ducking behind a desk.

Blake peeked around a doorframe she was using as cover and saw that the bull Faunus was indeed there to ruin their plans.

"Back off, we can't take him," Blake said rushing down the corridor with Ilia and Sun right behind.

"Scared of your ex?" Ilia taunted.

"Ilia, you don't know what he's capable of, you don't know the things he's done."

"Blake, I'm sorry, I didn't realize.."

"No you didn't."

Blake saw a door that looked secure enough and slammed it open only to see two soldiers crouched on the floor guns at the ready.

"Oh shit!" Sun said bringing his shotgun to bear.

"Sonuva!" Yang shouted pulling her shotgun from her back and pointing it to her shoulder and aimed at the three unidentified and armed people at the door wearing infiltrator suits.

"Hands up!" Ruby said drawing her pistol and moving in front of Weiss, "Drop your weapons!"

"Fuckers, this is not how I'd like to die so how about you drop your weapons?" Ilia snarled.

Blake slowly closed the door behind her before turning back to the two soldiers in the room.

"Look I'm sure we can work something out because there is someone out there who would gladly kill all of us," Blake said hesitantly.

"Yeah, you three put down your guns and we take you in for questioning and most likely life incarceration!" Yang shouted.

"Because we're Faunus and the system is biased against us we're a lot more likely to be killed before even getting a fair trial much less actually getting to jail," Blake said.

"This is the exact problem we planned on fixing by signing up but no, our first mission we just had to end up encountering a couple terrorists!" Ruby groaned.

"At least we'll get arrested by some cops with a conscious?" Sun suggested as he slowly set his gun on the floor.

"Pick your damn gun back up!" Ilia snapped at Sun who did as she said.

"What's going on?" Weiss muttered drowsily as she pushed herself up off the floor.

"Shit, nope keep lying down you took a nasty hit back there," Ruby urged and settled Weiss back onto the floor.

"What happened?" Weiss asked touching a hand to her bruised forehead.

"There was an explosion and now we're stuck in a standoff against these White Fang scum," Yang said.

"Now that's just insulting, just because we used to be with them doesn't mean we are anymore, and we didn't even mean to blow you up we were trying to avoid civilian casualties with that bomb, just hit the convoy," Ilia explained.

"Wait, you bombed us?" Ruby asked.

"Maybe," Sun said.

"What the fuck?" Yang asked.

"We're not saying any more!" Blake said before Sun could spill any more of their plan.

"We're obviously not going to shoot each other so why don't we just put our guns down, my arms are getting tired," Ruby said.

"Seriously what the hell is going on?" Weiss asked again struggling to sit up.

"Weiss just stay calm, we've got this handled," Ruby said laying the white haired girl back on the floor.

"Wait Weiss? As in Weiss Schnee?" Ilia asked.

"Who's asking?" Weiss said straining her eyes to see without raising her head.

"Don't say anything," Blake hissed, "She's obviously _the_ Weiss Schnee, the scar and white hair give it away plus she's got two Schutz guards which is more than most CEOs can afford."

"We should kill her, right here right now!" Ilia snarled realizing that Blake was right.

"No killing, you agreed to that when you joined me in this."

"She's Weiss Schnee, her name alone is cause enough to kill her! Her family has tortured and killed thousands of our kind in the sheer basis of the fact that we're Faunus!"

"It's because you're criminals," Weiss hissed through gritted teeth as she managed to stand up with Ruby's help, "Almost every single one of you has lied, cheated, or stolen. I've lost family and friends to you monsters."

"You've been fed propaganda your whole life leading you to believe that we're nothing but scum that deserve what we have coming but little do you know that outside your glass towers everyone living outside the luxury of military work and higher positions is a poor miserable wretch! Every on of us, Faunus or not, would be glad to see this corporate empire your father helped build come tumbling down on top of him. The only reason Faunus are blamed is because there's always a scapegoat," Blake snapped.

"We've built something great and you're jealous you couldn't do the same for yourself!"

"Jealous? No. We are resentful because you've taken away all opportunities to do such a thing, we're taxed within an inch of our lives, slaughtered for the most minor of transgressions, and any chance of a proper education is either through the military or a massive pay wall."

"She's right," Ruby said agreeing with Blake.

"Yeah," Yang said deflated, "We've lived through it. Our dad had to join the military to have a chance of supporting us before he could get a decent academy position. My mother left when I was born and Ruby's died when she was only a toddler, she died in a firefight between union workers and the so called peacekeepers. We joined with the military to make a change. The system is heavily biased against the Faunus and the lower class, the slums near the wall are a borderline war zone and nothing is being done."

"Bullshit," Weiss spat, "There's no evidence of these claims."

"You want evidence? How's this for evidence?" Blake said pulling out her phone and flipping through hundreds of videos of police beatings and poverty throughout the city.

Weiss looked on in horror as scene after scene played out before her. A begging child with horns growing from her head was kicked out of the way of a pair of officers who laughed at her. An elderly woman taking shelter in a cardboard box was shot for refusing to leave the area. A couple jumped from a skyscraper along with thousands of bills and court orders. Graffiti stained bodies of Faunus left in the streets to be picked clean by the vermin. Shanty towns of the homeless being cleared out with flamethrowers to make way for a new factory. Flames flickered in the heiress's pale blue eyes, orange sparks contrasting against the lighter color. Sparks of a revolution being stomped out.

"These were the things that drove the White Fang to their current actions, they have been driven to believe the only option is human genocide. We don't want that, we just want equality."

"Is it really that bad?" Weiss asked watching the flames of meager lives continue to burn on the screen.

"It's much worse, the snow falls have become more and more so made of ash lately because they burn our bodies to provide power and they experiment on the few who survive to reach prison."

The conversation died down as gunshots broke out around the room they were in and they became aware of sirens in all directions, Ruby and Yang's backup had arrived.

"We've got to go!" Ilia shouted ducking out into the hallway.

"Don't worry we won't tell anyone about you," Ruby said to Blake with truth in her voice.

"Thank you, keep trying to change things," Blake said following Ilia with Sun in tow.

Ruby helped Weiss stagger to her feet and began in the opposite direction down the hallway towards an emergency exit. Yang stepped out behind them and looked back in the direction of Blake to see a confrontation.

"Blake, what are you doing here?" Adam growled through his mask.

"We were in the area, decided to drop in," Blake said standing up taller as Adam stepped up to her.

"Is that so? And are those the missing infiltrator suits?" Adam said eyeing down the sleek black suit.

"Perhaps."

Adam pulled his hand back to slap her but as Blake braced for the blow nothing happened and the only sound she heard was the blast of a shotgun. Glancing down Blake saw that Yang had run down the corridor and slid between her legs firing her shotgun at Adam as she came through sending the White Fang leader flying despite not doing much damage.

Yang winked and slipped a scrap of paper under Blake's bow before putting another slug into Adam and running after her sister who had gotten Weiss outside and into the waiting arms of a medic.

"Let's go!" Blake said running past Adams prone form with Ilia and Sun in pursuit.

A few bullets ripped past the fleeing splinter cell members. Glancing back Blake saw a couple of Adams goons shooting at them before lifting up their unconscious leader and carrying him away as a squad of soldiers came down the corridor from the emergency exit. Once to relative safety Blake managed to still her rushing heartbeat and looked to Sun and Ilia with a grin.

"That may have been more successful than originally intended but Adam still killed civilians, that's not happening next time."

"I still think we should have killed the heiress," Ilia snorted.

"Did you not see her face? That was the face of someone who's been convinced. Give it some time and she'll be on our side sure enough," Sun said confidently.

"It's not likely but she definitely had a different attitude after I showed her that video. Maybe we should use it as recruitment footage? Adam knows we're against him now so we could use all the help we can get," Blake suggested.

"Two rebellions and a totalitarian capitalist government, what could go wrong?" Ilia shrugged.

"Hey how about we go relax, drinks on me?" Sun said.

"Sure, you guys can crash at my parents place once we go back and get our stuff from the server building," Blake said smiling a bit wider at the days successes, "We're off to a pretty good start with this whole splinter cell thing."

Blake remembered the scrap of paper in her collar and pulled it out to read it. It was folded by the outside had the roughly scribbled words "call me" on it, unfolding it Blake found a phone number that she could only assume was Yang's.

"What's it say?" Ilia asked trying to get a look at he paper.

"Just a way to contact those two if we need some help."

"You trust those two?" Sun asked pointin a thumb back at the flashing lights of dozens of emergency vehicles surrounding the building.

"Did you see what she did? Yeah I do. Their hearts are in the right place."

"You'd better hope so," Ilia mumbled.

"You think she'll call?" Yang asked her sister as they waited for the commanding officer of the relief squad to finish filing their situation report.

"Maybe, I just hope we're not doing the wrong thing here."

"Illegal? Maybe. Morally wrong? No. It's the right thing."

"I hope so."

"Uhm, hi," Ruby and Yang turned to see Weiss wrapped in a blanket walking towards them from the ambulance, "The medic says I'm clear and before I get taken home I'd like to thank you for what you did for me. I'd have died in that first explosion if it wasn't for you. I'll make sure to request you next time I need bodyguards. Maybe put in some good words to the commander of the Schutz. I know her personally."

"How do you know Commander Winter?"

"She's my older sister."

Ruby and Yang were screaming internally realizing they'd been chaperoning the second highest ranking officer in the military's younger sister.

"Oh man, if you got hurt she'd have our heads," Yang said running her finger across her neck for emphasis.

"Good thing I didn't," Weiss said, "Thanks again you two," Weiss turned and strutted away towards another limo that had pulled up.

"She's kinda cute," Yang said nudging Ruby's side noticing how her younger sister traced the rich girls walk.

"Gross, Yang!"

* * *

"Winter," Ironwood spoke to his second in command when she entered his office as he'd requested.

"Yes, sir?"

"I suppose you've learned of the incident downtown?"

"Yes, I've been informed my sister made it out uninjured thanks to two of the new recruits."

"Yes, Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, I'm watching their helmet cams and it seems now would be a good time to get involved in stage two of our plan."

"Helmet cams sir?"

"Something I had installed on the helmets of promising recruits in hopes of finding some to assist in our plan, these two definitely fit that description. I want their phones tapped and I want them under remote surveillance that leads directly to me at all times when they're off duty."

"Understood, would you like me to speak to my sister?"

"Yes that would be good, she may prove to be a valuable asset along with them. And how's your acting?"

"Sir?"

"You're going to be doing some arms dealing."

"Ah," Winter nodded in realization as the general turned his computer monitor to show surveillance cam footage in the office building of Blake confronting Adam and running off after Yang shot him alongside footage of the sisters speaking to the White Fang splinter cell.

"Prepare a delivery of weapons and inform your most trusted men of our intentions, I want them ready."

"Understood."

Winter turned and marched out of the generals barren office.

Speaking to himself Ironwood turned and looked down on the city from the office atop the massive central military and government building, "Soon, soon those walls I helped build will be torn down. Soon this city will be free. But first, the more immediate issue."


	2. Steel

"How are my two graduates doing?"

"We're fine dad, already got a promotion and a preference from someone high up," Yang smiled at her phone through which the sisters were video calling their father during his break between classes at the academy before their next mission.

"Yeah the General came to us directly to inform us of the promotion and commended us on our performance in our first mission," Ruby beamed.

"So who's your sponsor?" Tai Yang asked his daughters curious as to who was asking for their protection specifically.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to Schnee fortune and next in line to be CEO of the SDC."

Their father gaped in shock before composing himself enough to respond, "Seriously? You're not joking? The Weiss Schnee? As in little sister to Specialist Schnee?"

"Yes dad, that Weiss Schnee, she's the one we were escorting during our first mission and decided she wanted to have us again," Ruby sighed.

"That's great! Imagine how much money you'll be making."

"It's not about the money dad, it's about position, we need to get high enough to do some serious good. The sponsorship will help though."

"Yeah I know, I'm just so proud of you girls! It seems like only yesterday Ruby was turning sixteen and deciding to enter the academy but now here you both are two years later graduated as a Schutz unit and already with a SDC sponsorship and a promotion on your third day."

"It's kinda surreal honestly, I never thought we'd make it to Schutz much less this far this quickly," Yang said inspecting the new patch on her uniform designating her as a corporal.

"Well good luck on your second mission, it's always harder than the first."

"Harder than a bombing and getting attacked by Adam Taurus himself? We'd have to be at war with another kingdom for something that bad."

"True, either way good luck girls," the connection was cut and helping the time Ruby saw that they had ten minutes to prepare for their mission.

"Time to get geared up," Ruby said hopping off her lower bunk they'd been sharing for the call.

"Yep," Yang said getting up after her.

They quickly donned their gleaming white armor and checked their weapons before heading out to board the transport that would take them to the Schnee manor where they'd accompany Weiss on the rest of her tour that was interrupted two days prior by the bombing which since had sparked a series firefights in the lower sectors most of which had been instigated by the police. After a quite ride in the back of the armored half track vehicle they were dropped off at the front entrance of the manor where they were ushered inside by a butler who had been awaiting them.

"This way please, the young mistress is still getting ready but you shouldn't have to wait very long. Here is her room, wait out here if you wish but I'm sure she won't mind if you intrude to announce yourself," the bulldog resembling man grumbled as he left them at one of many large doors on a very long hallway.

"Should we knock?" Ruby whispered.

"I guess so," Yang said, unsure.

"I can hear you out there, just let yourselves in," Weiss's muffled voice came from inside.

"There's our answer," Ruby said pushing the door open to see Weiss standing completely still in the middle of the mostly bare room balancing a rapier in her hand wearing a binder and a fencing fencing suit with the top half folded down to her waist and the pants folded up to expose her legs.

Obviously straining, Weiss held her balance remaining perfectly still and sweating as if she had been there for hours. Her eyes flicked to a silver watch on her right hand clutching the rapier before dropping her form and sheathing the sword before returning it to a rack against the wall, one of the only pieces of furniture in the room besides a bed and a dresser along with a desk and a lamp. Completely ignoring the two soldiers in her doorway Weiss turned her back to the door and dropped the suit revealing athletic shorts on underneath and pulling the binder off before stepping into the walk-in closet near her. Ruby let out the breath she'd been holding and doubled over gasping for air her face as red as her namesake behind the blue tinged visor of the helmet.

"You alright there sis? You seem a little flustered," Yang asked with a completely straight face while holding her posture.

"Fuck you Yang."

"You mean fuck her?"

"Shut up," Ruby growled as she returned to attention and managed to clear her face of the blush.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, I try to keep my body and mind disciplined by performing exercises like that and practicing fencing but as I missed my training the other day due to that incident I was catching up now while I had the chance," Weiss said emerging from the closet wearing a three piece suit and heels, "Are you blushing?" Weiss asked noticing the faintest hints of red on the younger sisters face as she approached them.

"No! It's just cold outside and we just came in," Ruby sputtered.

"Oh. Oh! I'm so sorry, I'm so used to it just being servants and maids around here who've known me since I was little I didn't stop to think that you were here. I'm sorry about that," Weiss bowed to her waist in apology.

"No need to apologize, we should have turned around," Yang said covering for her sister who was still in a degree of shock.

"Let's leave the past behind for now, there is still much to attend to today. I'm sure you're aware of the schedule?"

"Yes ma'am," Ruby confirmed.

"And don't refer to me as ma'am, that's what you call my sister. Miss works but I'd just prefer Weiss."

"Understood."

"Good, first stop is breakfast as I haven't had anything to eat today and we have a thirty minute space between the first scheduled inspection and now."

"No time to waste then," Yang nodded marching off after the heiress with Ruby beside her.

* * *

"Where the hell is she? Sun got into position ten minutes ago! She should have showed up by now," Blake snarled in frustration.

"Ah so this mysterious supplier is a woman! Anything else? Anything at all?" Ilia asked her lifelong friend.

"Why are you so interested?"

"Me and Sun have a Bingo bet going to see who can find out the most about this informant of yours."

"Of course you do, well I'd rather you win than him, which others do you need to win?"

"Occupation, age, name, height, weight, species, hair color, and eye color."

"I've got occupation, age, and species, does that work?"

"It does indeed, now spill it," Ilia said checking over the warehouse rooftop on the four White Fang guards they were watching.

"High ranking military, twenty seven years old, human."

"Sun is determined she's a Faunus otherwise she wouldn't be helping us, I was open with that. Looks like I just won fifty bucks and a pint of my preferred drink."

"Shush, here she comes," Blake looked down he binoculars she held at the dock shipping yard where her informant would be setting up a particular White Fang officer who had been displacing families to store weapons.

Stepping around a corner into sight was a tall woman wearing a black leather jacket, baggy urban camo cargo pants, and a pair of fur boots with steel cleats that clacked along the concrete. Her face was obscured by a white scarf and thick sunglasses but her white hair tied in a bun remained obvious. The objects of attention were the large black briefcases she held in each hand. The four poorly disguised White Fang thugs strolled from where they'd been smoking to the middle of the storage yard and met her in the middle. Blake craned her neck but managed to hear the lead thugs raspy voice.

"You armed?"

"Does it look like it? Besides the ones agreed on in the deal the only weapons I brought are back in my car a couple blocks away."

"Whatever," the dog Faunus brought his phone to his ear without even dialing suggesting it had already been on call "Boss, she's clean."

A shipping crate slammed open revealing two more thugs flanking a massively built man with thick antlers atop his head.

"You got the cash?" The woman asked curling her fingers tighter around the handles of the cases.

"You got the goods?" The White Fang officer grunted.

"Right here."

"Prove it."

The woman sighed and set down the case in her left hand and opened the one in her right revealing a set of four gleaming disassembled rifles. Quickly she assembled one and took aim at the dog Faunus who'd alerted the leader.

"Mind if I demonstrate?"

"Go ahead."

She pulled the trigger sending the bullet wizzing through the hoop earring hanging from the Faunus's ear.

"That proof enough for you?"

"Fine, but I'm not paying for that bullet."

"No you're not, you're not paying for anything here actually."

"Is this a charity now? I thought you were an arms dealer," the moose grinned.

"No, no charity. I've decided to change my stock. I don't sell guns anymore. I sell justice. And my current client just decided to cash in her transaction," the woman flicked her sunglasses down as she glanced over the leaders shoulder at Blake who'd snuck up on him and now had a pistol against his head.

"It's payday," Blake deadpanned as she pulled the trigger and the scene devolved into chaos.

The moose dropped instantly his brains splattering the thugs who'd been standing in front of him. Pulling their own weapons the six thugs found they were surrounded with Sun wielding his shotgun to their right, Ilia with her whip and pistol to the left, Blake behind them, and the arms dealer in front the deadliest of the four with an assault rifle.

"Judge, Jury, and Executioner was never really my thing but it's just another day in Atlas," the informant shrugged unloading her magazine into the three leading White Fang while Blake, Ilia, and Sun handled the remaining three.

"That went well despite the fact that you got blood on my new jacket," the woman with white hair said pulling her scarf loose and pushing her glasses onto her forehead revealing bright blue eyes.

"You said I'd get answers?" Blake said stepping forward to the tall woman.

"I guess a formal introduction would be in order rather than a vague description over the phone. Specialist Winter Schnee, second in command to General Ironwood who specifically ordered me to come into contact with you after hearing about you in a particular Corporal Xiao Longs report."

"They said they'd keep quiet!" Blake snarled.

"Oh they didn't officially say anything, it was more of an unintentional report. They had helmet cams."

"Damn it! Does anyone else in the military know of us?"

"Just myself, the General, and our most trusted men. It's a bit of a conspiracy but I'd rather you just lay low for now, gain numbers and support. Go ahead and take his money and the guns, I don't need either."

"Thanks, is there any way we can contact you? In case we need some assistance."

"You have Xiao Longs number don't you? That's good enough."

"She's in on this?" Blake asked suspicion creeping into her voice:

"Not yet, but she will be."

* * *

"You're sure about this?" Yang asked Weiss as the luxurious yet inconspicuous car they were traveling in made its way down the cramped and dirty streets leading into the poorer districts of Atlas closer to the walls surrounding the city.

"Yes I'm sure, I know it's your job to be worried but I need to see this for myself. And besides I can protect myself in an emergency," Weiss said revealing a large revolver she had holstered inside her suit jacket, "Sport shooting is a rather popular pastime amongst the elite which gave me an excuse to get this without drawing attention. I haven't been shooting long but I'm rather good with it."

"We'll avoid a confrontation if we can but it's not likely people won't see you as a target."

"Ma'am, we've arrived," the chauffeur announced as they came to a stop on the side of the street.

"Thank you, please wait here until we've finished."

"Yes ma'am."

"Let's go," Weiss said gesturing to the door on the sidewalk side of the car letting Ruby open it and get out before stepping out herself, "It's only a few blocks which gives me enough time to see what it's like around here."

They began walking Ruby and Yang on either side of Weiss scanning the streets for any threats but all they saw were children in ragged clothes ducking in and out of alleyways. It was the middle of the workday and anyone who'd be out otherwise was working. A young Faunus boy with a pair of droopy beagle ears scrambled onto the sidewalk after a ball he'd been playing with before jumping out of the way of the two armored women who were guarding a very well dressed business woman. Ruby smiled at the boy and rolled the ball back to him before continuing to walk.

"What's that stench?" Weiss asked wrinkling her nose at a rotten odor.

"The winds are shifting from the walls in our direction, that's the smell of burning flesh."

"Like people?" Weiss asked with disgust.

"Death row is the most common thing to happen to criminals and the walls themselves are our prisons, what happens to the bodies? They burn them and use the heat to power homes and businesses. The towers along the wall are smokestacks not watchtowers. Ash falls are common and have become so normalized by almost twenty years of it that people have begun collecting the ash to use in pottery and glass making," Ruby said looking up to see that a wave of grey powder was falling from the sky as the smoke was blown from the prisons into the slums.

"That's terrible," Weiss said looking around at the drifts of slushy ash that had begun to pile up.

"Good to see you're coming around, not all of you rich people are terrible," Yang snorted checking her shotgun briefly as the stepped into a more active area, a long side alley lined with stalls selling handmade goods and scavenged valuables along with some most likely less than legal items.

"Stay close," Ruby whispered pulling Weiss closer between her and Yang as the crowds grew thicker in the small market.

"Why can't they just shop at a normal store?"

"The prices are too high, people can barely afford to pay for their homes much less food for a week when taxes are added so they come to places like this to buy things tax free and produced out of the eye of the government, away from quality regulations and tampering."

"This feels wrong, all of this. People shouldn't have to resort to the black market to feed themselves."

"But that's exactly what most Atlesians are forced to do. With falling wages and rising prices it won't be long before the economy collapses."

"We need to get out of here!" Yang hissed urging Ruby and Weiss forward.

"Whats the problem?" Ruby asked looking back through the crowd.

"White Fang, tailing us. Probably someone told them there were soldiers coming around here."

"Then let's go, I didn't want to hang around here anyways," Weiss said pushing forward along with her two guards.

Eventually they managed to lose the White Fang in the crowd and circle back around to where the car was parked. Once inside Weiss instructed the driver to continue on to their next destination. Back into the neon filled skyscrapers of inner Atlas they reached one of the four directional headquarters of the SDC where Weiss had a meeting with some middle rank executives. The the bright blue and white glass and steel of the building combined with the grey concrete and fixtures contrasted against the surrounding dull grey of other skyscrapers around it. Following Weiss to the meeting room they were instructed to take a break in a nearby break room with food and drink supplied for them. Yang checked her phone while they had a moment away from their duty and noticed she had a missed call from a blocked number.

"I wonder who this could be?" Yang said showing her sister the notification.

"You know exactly who it is," Ruby looked at Yang with disapproval.

"Yes I do and I am calling her back," the phone rang for a couple of seconds before it was answered.

"Hey, you didn't answer earlier and I was just about to call again."

"I did tell you to call me but I was in the middle of escorting the heiress through the slums."

"She coming around?"

"Yeah, experienced her first ash fall and visited one of the black markets along with getting chased by some White Fang it was a rather eventful day for her."

"Speaking of eventful days mine was too, I met your boss for one, the boss who happens to be her sister."

"What happened, don't tell me you got in trouble?"

"Nothing bad, only good really. She was kind enough to lend us some money and guns."

"You robbed her?"

"No, it was entirely voluntary, technically she helped us rob someone else and gave us the guns as an added reward."

"What the hell did you do?"

"She'll tell you later, but maybe we can speak in person once she does."

"What the hell is going on?"

"A lot, I'm still a bit confused too."

"This should be fun."

"It was for me, let's just hope your experience is slightly less bloody."

"You're insane."

"I'm a member of a splinter cell of a radical terrorist organization who is hellbent on the downfall of them and the government, that comes with a little bit of mental instability, like you're one to talk anyways, you think you can change the entire system by becoming one of its pawns."

"It's working isn't it, I've already converted a rather high ranking employee of he SDC who control a sizable portion of he military."

"You mean I did!" Ruby snorted from beside Yang where she had been listening in.

"Whatever, you stay safe with your vigilante antics, I still haven't gotten to know you as well as I'd like."

"The same can be said for you and your so called peacekeeping."

"Whatever, just don't die."

"I'll try Yang."

Yang hung up and looked over at Ruby as she hung her head in her hands.

"What are we getting ourselves into Rubes?"

"I really don't know, but we're definitely in deep."

"Too deep."

Ruby and Yang sighed and went back to waiting for the meeting to end.

"Oh look who it is, the two washouts who barely made it through training," an arrogant voice came from the doorway.

"Last I checked you didn't have a SDC sponsorship or the rank of Corporal did you Cardin?" Yang snarled back at the other Schutz member who had entered the break room.

"Corporal? Bullshit."

"Really? Do these two arrows lie?" Ruby said tapping the insignia on her shoulder.

"How the hell did you two already get promoted?"

"Maybe saving the life of the heiress of the SDC from a White Fang attack will do that but I'm sure you wouldn't know having spent what little experience you have sitting on the wall," Yang said with a smug grin.

"I'll be your commanding officer someday, then you'll regret taunting me."

"Last I checked we're directly under Winter's command. She's transferred us to her unit so she can better keep up with the dedicated bodyguards of her little sister."

"Why are you here then?"

"She happens to be in a meeting down the hall and our services aren't required during such a private function. What are you doing here, filing paperwork?" Ruby said sitting up straighter as a higher ranked Schutz member walked in Ruby recognized her as Sergeant Coco Adel.

"We're on a very high profile investigation involving interkingdom trade deals, Private Winchester here is filing paperwork for me however," the sergeant spoke as she took her own seat.

"Sergeant Adel," Yang nodded to the higher ranking soldier.

"Congratulations on your new position, both of you. You've got a good head start in rising the ranks now."

"So everyone keeps telling us."

"Ruby, Yang, the meeting is over let's go," Weiss said impatiently as she stepped through the doorway.

"Have fun with filing papers Cardin," Yang said waving.

"Good luck with your investigation," Ruby nodded to Coco who returned the gesture.

"Where to now Ms. Schnee?" Yang asked.

"We'll be visiting a family friend who owns one of our partner organizations, they handle the more complicated types of dust refining."

The three of them took the elevator back to the ground floor before entering the car where Weiss instructed the driver to take them to their next destination.

* * *

"Is it crowded in here?" Ilia asked as she and Blake entered the bar they frequented between missions and whatever odd jobs they managed to get hold of.

"There do seem to be more people than usual, and I just noticed why," Blake pointed to where a group of ten White Fang were sitting at and around a table near the back of the small establishment.

"Think it's trouble?"

"Not likely but we'd better keep our heads down anyways," Blake said pulling up her hood to hide her face and ears before continuing to their usual booth.

"What happens if there's a fight?"

"We leave, we don't owe anyone here anything and there's no reason to help them unless something goes very wrong."

"Let's hope it doesn't. Sun should be here soon so at least we'll have backup."

"Yeah. What'd you think about our new friend from earlier?" Blake said recalling the setup from that morning.

"I know Sun isn't the biggest fan," Ilia snorted remembering how he'd ranted about trusting a human and one in the military no less.

"Yeah, but do you trust her? I'm still not sure myself."

"Yeah I do, I'm not sure why but there's something about her that makes me think she's on our side for sure."

"And what's that?"

"Well, she seems to have the no nonsense morality before law attitude."

"She's kinda hot too."

"What?" Ilia said looking at Blake like she was crazy.

"What? She's attractive and I know you think so too," Blake said recalling how the chameleon Faunus had looked at the white haired woman.

"Yeah she is but she's not exactly, uh, ya know, dating material."

"You just have to try, that's probably the only reason you never managed to really confront me with your feelings until it was too late."

"Ugh don't remind me of that crush, you and Adam were insufferable while you dated and it made me so damn jealous."

"Don't remind me of when I dated Adam, he's a terrible person and I can't believe I ever looked up to him."

"What really sold that to you? Like what made you realize he was irredeemable?"

"I found him torturing a cop for info, not just any cop either, a Faunus. He was a lion Faunus with a tail and Adam was slowly chopping off pieces of it. There was already about a foot of it gone and even through his screams Adam just kept going. He didn't care how much pain he was in, he didn't care that he already had the information he needed, he didn't even care that he was one of us, he just wanted to cause him pain for the sole fact that he was a cop in an institution where he made no difference and was doing all he could to even survive."

"Oh my gods, that's fucked up."

"I tried to stop him, he just pushed me away and had his guards get rid of me."

"I always knew he was a bad apple, didn't realize he'd spoiled the whole bunch."

"He really has, every member is behind him completely and they don't even realize he's planning genocide."

The two of them ordered their drinks and had only just started drinking them when the flashing lights and siren of a SWAT APC stopped in front of the bar. Ilia and Blake ducked their heads in case they were there for them, the White Fang had a similar idea and slipped out the back before the police's intentions were known.

"They here for us?"

"Fucking hell Sun, where'd you come from?" Ilia said jumping at his sudden appearance.

"Back door, saw those thugs hauling ass."

"Yeah next door apartment is getting raided," Blake said watching the heavily armored men rush up the stairs leading to the front door of the lobby of the apartment complex.

"Well guess we're doing something about it, I know for a fact that every Faunus in that building is innocent except maybe the landlord and he doesn't live there," Sun said making his way towards the stairs tucked into a back corner of the bar.

"Fine, you know a way in?" Blake said pushing through the crowded bar after the monkey Faunus.

"Yep, there's a plastered over door on each floor of this place going over there."

"We're seriously doing this? Didn't our new friend tell us to lay low?" Ilia complained following the two ahead of her.

"Yes but an innocent family could be getting murdered in the name of law and order, would you rather sit here nursing your knockoff back alley moonshine or kick some ass?" Sun mocked as he ran up the stairs two at a time.

"It was vodka actually but you are right," Ilia sighed.

"Well it smelled like pure ethanol. Sounds like they've stopped on this floor," Sun said pressing his ear to the wall of one of the empty floors above the bar where the clanking of armored boots had stopped for a moment.

Through the wall Sun could hear the splintering of a door being smashed down and screams of the occupants as gunshots rang out.

"Alright. Knock knock."

"Who's there?" Blake asked confused.

"The door!" Sun shouted smashing through the thinly plastered wall and the hidden door behind it and into the adjacent apartment where the five man SWAT team had the family of Faunus on the ground.

Pulling his shotgun from his coat Sun blasted the first cop through the door they'd come through before rolling under the oncoming fire from the other four startled officers. Blake and Ilia followed Sun through the cloud of plaster he left in his wake Ilia wielding one of the guns they'd gotten from Winter, a compact sub machine gun with a ridiculous fire rate. Firing like mad Ilia covered the family as they got out of the way of the quickly devolving firefight that had erupted in their apartment. Despite their armor the sheer amount of firepower coming from the three Faunus shredded the unprepared SWAT team. The last surviving enemy threw a grenade in a last ditch attempt at killing the rebels, Blake seeing the thrown explosive jumped to throw it back but only managed to knock it away to the back of the room the family had taken cover in Blake rushed to cover them but barely got there by the time the fuse ended coating most of the room in a spattering of shrapnel. Blake looked up from where she'd fallen to see the cowering family in the corner across from where the grenade had fallen the mother cradling her daughter who had a large chunk of shrapnel lodged in her skull, she was dead before the smoke had cleared. Blake checking herself for injuries found a wound going through her right shoulder matching the size of the shrapnel that hit the little girl.

"Damnit!" Blake snarled kicking the doorframe leading into the room where Sun and Ilia were checking the bodies of the five SWAT team members.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Ilia asked seeing Blake with tears streaming down her face.

"I couldn't save them all," Blake said a sob wracking her body, "Went straight through me," Blake showed Ilia the hole in her shoulder.

"Who'd it get?" Ilia asked getting a closer look at the injury.

"The daughter."

"Thank you, you did what you could," Blake turned to see the father in the doorway a saddened look in his eyes.

"But I didn't do enough. They're determined you're criminals and us doing this probably didn't help, your better get out of here, we can spare some money for you."

"Thank you, you don't need to give us any money though."

"No, after this almost all your assets will be frozen by the government and you'll need it."

"Thank you so much. We don't blame you for what happened. There was nothing more you could do without risking yourself further and even now you're injured."

"Just go, get out of here while you can. And avoid the White Fang if you can, they don't have as noble intentions as they'd like you to believe."

"Let's get out of here, their driver is taken care of, we'll take their truck," Sun said tossing Blake the keys he'd gotten from the driver of the armored vehicle outside.

"I'm not driving, took a hit to the shoulder. Ilia you're gonna have to drive. I'm sorry we can't stay to help," Blake said looking back at the parents and their son who was gently cradling his sisters body.

"You've done more than you think, go, we'll be alright."

Blake managed to get herself down the stairs before collapsing into the open passenger side of the armored van.

"I've got to get a bandage on this," Blake hissed through the pain.

"You need medical attention, a bandage won't do shit to an inch wide hole through your arm," Sun said through the slot between the drivers seat and the rear cabin.

"We can't exactly do that," Ilia said starting up the heavy engine and taking off down the road, "If you hadn't realized now is the best time to tell you that we're fugitives, Sun."

"I know that but where else are we gonna get her some help? The Fang? Don't make me laugh."

"There's one place," Blake gasped as she tied off a tourniquet above the wound with her belt.

"You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking!" Ilia growled as she drove.

"If you're thinking I'm thinking what I think you think I'm thinking then you're right and it's our only option," Blake mumbled through the pain as she rummages through the medical kit she'd found underneath the seat.

"What's our only option?" Sun asked cluelessly.

"Those soldiers from the other day, one of them gave Blake her number."

"And address," Blake said after downing a handful of painkillers.

"Bull!"

"No joke, I know where two Schutz members and their academy professor father live," Blake said ignoring the fact that she only knew that much from the few messages they'd exchanged since their meeting.

"Their dad? I think this is getting a little to risky now, even more so than before," Ilia said glaring at the road ahead as the gradual ash falls picked up and got swallowed in snow.

"She insists he's fine plus he's out usually, he's one of the night professors."

"What time is it speaking of which?" Sun said craning his neck to see the time on the trucks dashboard.

"It's six in the evening, what little sun we get is about to ditch us," Blake said reading the digital clock.

"The night shift for the academy starts at eight, so hopefully he'll be gone by the time we get there."

"How do you know?" Ilia asked skeptically.

"I used to break in there every now and then for food and stuff to sell back when my parents were still kicking," Sun shrugged.

"Whatever, their house is across the city from us which gives us an hour and a half to get there before he leaves," Ilia said checking the mirrors for pursuit.

"Oh hey look it's that one nameless burger place, we should stop for something," Sun said leaning over Blake to point at a brightly lit diner.

"Now?"

"Yes Ilia, now. Food helps you deal with injuries and traumatic experiences," Sun stayed matter-of-factly.

"I could go for something to eat right now," Blake groaned as she reached for the bottle of painkillers again.

"Fuck it! Fine if you guys want to roll up at a burger place in a stolen SWAT van while you're bleeding out of your arm then I guess that's what we're doing."

Ilia pulled into the drive through lane and stopped at the ordering station.

"What do you guys want?" Ilia asked.

"A loaded cheeseburger, double everything, and a large lemonade," Sun said.

"My arm says the souls of the damned and my mind says a bacon burger so make it two bacon burgers and a chocolate milkshake," Blake said tightening her makeshift tourniquet.

"Fine," Ilia said before repeating their orders along with hers of a salad before pulling forward to the next window.

"Ilia? Is that you? And my man Sun too? What's good?" A short horned lizard Faunus stuck his head out of the window with a bag holding their food in hand.

"Dino?" Sun said surprised to see their old friend, "What happened to you man? I thought you got busted!"

"Nah, I went off the grid for a couple months so I could start working here, it's a bit of an underground operation. Inter-kingdom trade ya know?"

"Smuggling?" Ilia asked.

"Yeah pretty much, a bit of money laundering too. I'm running with old Roman's crew."

"The guy with the psycho midget?" Sun recalled.

"Her names Neo and don't let her hear you calling her that or you'll be hangin by the balls from the tallest building in Atlas."

"Whatever, we'll see you around man, got a bit of a situation in the shotgun seat here," Sun said pointing to Blake who was slumped down in the seat.

"Blake? You'd better not take her back to her parents like that, they'll turn your ass into a chess board," Dino laughed nervously when he saw the deep wound.

"She'll be fine, just got to get to a hideout we've got set up."

"You'd best get out of here, we've got a shipment coming in a few minutes from now, it was good seeing ya," Dino said looking back into the dimly lit kitchen where someone was calling his name.

"See ya," Sun waved as Ilia pulled away from the drive through and tire off in the direction of the address Blake had shown her.

"I'm gonna need a damn drink after this shit," Blake hissed as another bout of pain crept up her injured arm.

* * *

"Another successful day of work, wouldn't you say sis?" Yang said stretching after the walk from the bus stop to their apartments front door.

"I mean we didn't really do a whole lot but yeah," Ruby said stifling a yawn.

"Hey d'you think dad's home?" Yang said as she reached the door.

"No, he left for work about ten minutes ago."

"Well the doors unlocked."

"Shit," Ruby said drawing her sidearm that she carried even off duty as they'd been let off for the weekend.

"It's clear here," Yang whispered as she pushed open the door quietly.

Moving past the entry hall Yang checked the kitchen on the right and saw it was empty save for the liquor cabinet being ajar. Stepping lightly ahead Ruby turned the corner into the simply decorated living room to see Sun standing alert shotgun pointed at the entrance.

"Ah!" Ruby shouted in surprise at seeing the Faunus.

"Ah!" Sun shouted in surprise at seeing the soldier.

"Ah?" Blake asked drowsily from the couch where she was laying with a towel under her arm which was still slowly bleeding.

"Put the gun down," Ilia hissed seeming to pull away from the wall beside Ruby.

"No you," Yang said pressing her own pistol to Ilia's head.

"Hey now everybody just put your guns down, I realize we just let ourselves in but we didn't really have an option," Sun said setting his shotgun on the coffee table.

"Yeah guns are exactly what got us here in the first place, a grenade actually but I think I got shot at least once too but that's just a scratch," Blake muttered taking another swig from one of the various liquors gathered next to her, "Oh that's good scotch, you guys have good taste."

"Are you drunk?" Ilia asked turning to the cat Faunus.

"Maybe."

"I leave for two minutes to check upstairs and you get shitfaced on someone else's alcohol."

"It was a long two minutes, Sun had some too."

"Did not!" Sun complained attempting to wipe what remained of some cider from his lips.

"Explain. Now," Yang demanded as everyone calmed down.

"We were out having a drink at our usual bar, an apartment next door was getting raided under false accusations by a SWAT team so we went upstairs smashed through a wall and killed them, Blake got hit by a piece of shrapnel from a grenade trying to save a the family but a little girl still died to the same piece that went through Blake, we stole the SWAT teams truck and went to get some burgers before coming here, we parked it a block away after taking out the tracker, Ilia got us in and I got Blake situated before we managed to get into the liquor cabinet to keep Blake drunk enough to not pass out from the pain," Sun rambled.

"Wait, wait, wait. You stopped for burgers? While she was bleeding out?" Yang asked bewildered.

"She wasn't bleeding at the moment and it only took like a minute tops."

Yang's phone rang at that moment.

"Shit it's Winter, why is she calling me? Do you have something to do with this?" Yang pointed at the three Faunus on her couch.

"Possibly," Blake said clasping her hands together.

"Damnit, I'm gonna answer and all of you need to shut up," Yang snarled answering the call, "Hello ma'am."

"Open the front door."

"Yes ma'am," Yang walked over and opened the door without protest knowing that she very well could be shot for treason then and there.

"Now that we're all here I can finally explain what all the plotting is about," Winter said stepping through the door followed by a medic carrying a large field surgery kit.

"What?" Ruby asked glancing between the rebels and her superior officer.

"I'll explain soon just take a seat and let him deal with her first," Winter said pointing to Blake indicating that the medic was supposed to assist her.

Everyone sat in confused silence for a few minutes only interrupted by squeals and hisses from Blake as her wound was disinfected and sewn shut.

"That's better," Blake sighed moving her arm stiffly.

"Now I'm sure you'd all like explanations, I only need to explain part of it to these three, but I need to explain all of it to you," Winter said pointing from the Faunus rebels to her own soldiers, "The General is staging a coup. He is finding every soldier within Atlas's forces who is against the way we do things currently and wishes to change that. I determined that you two would be good candidates and after your first mission the General found out about those three and deemed that they would make good assets. We tapped your phones and got her number through which I contacted them under the ruse of being a black market arms dealer willing to set up a White Fang lieutenant and provide them with weapons, after the issue was dealt with I gave them the money the White Fang wanted to but the guns with and the guns themselves because when you're outnumbered by the millions firepower is your friend. Having all of you tapped I realized the situation you got yourselves in and anticipating you'd come here for help I waited. Now you're all caught up. I need all of you to help organize this coup to take over Atlas from its current government and topple the corrupt corporations that control it. Your sponsor may be useful for part of that."

"Your own sister? You're going to use your sister as a pawn in an uprising."

"I've been teaching her to think more like me and less like our father since I realized the true pitiful state of this kingdom. She knows it will come down to it eventually. She's not important right now but the closer you can get to her the better."

"So what exactly will our roles be in this because you obviously know we're not saying no," Blake asked.

"If you were going to say no I wouldn't have marked you as assets. Now Yang and Ruby, you will be our eyes on the inside, you will be the direct hand of the General and I within the military, if there's a political target to be taken out, you'll be there to make someone else botch it, at the same time you'll also be using your position as Shutz operatives to ingrain yourself in the higher society of Atlas, learn how they tick so we can bring them to their knees. You rebels, you'll need to properly set up a rival system to the White Fang, that's your objective. Bring down the Fang and their supporters or turn them to your side, this will give us a reliable army for the final stages of the plan. You'll be doing the outside the law missions, anything less than legal that would blow their cover is your domain. In many cases you will be cooperating to make it seem like a normal attack but in reality they were working from the inside. For now you go about your usual business, the bare foundation of this plan has only just been built, just know that when the time comes I expect you to be ready," Winter finished speaking and stride out of the apartment with the medic following behind her.

"Well. That was interesting. I guess we're stuck in this now whether we like it or not," Yang said sitting back in the seat she'd sat in.

"I'm fine with this," Ruby said nonchalantly, "I mean this certainly boosts our plan forward pretty far."

"What plan?" Blake asked.

"We said we wanted to fix this system and we meant it, we were going to work our way to the top and rebuild it all from there," Yang answered gesturing out a window at the massive government tower in the center of the sprawling city.

"Well you've certainly got a head start now," Sun said kicking his feet up on the couch.

"Sun, feet. Down," Ilia said keeping him in check.

"We should have a meeting place," Blake suggested ignoring her comrades bickering.

"I know of a pretty nice cafe down near the middle divide," Yang said.

"Right between the class sectors?"

"Yeah, it gives us a good vantage into both sides, plus it'll be less suspicious for us to be there off duty while still being within reason for you guys to be there without attracting too much attention from the more racist of the upper class when you're not hiding your Faunus features."

"That's true, it could be a good spot."

"What do you say we meet there around two tomorrow afternoon? Just to scope the place out and highlight potential hideouts and escape routes," Yang asked, "We are off duty for the day anyways, not much to do than sit around base on days like that."

"Why don't you two show Ruby around our little hole in the wall while Yang and I deal with the cafe?" Blake asked Ilia and Sun.

"Um, sure, why not?" Ilia agreed.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll just leave you two to your little date," Sun teased kicking his feet up again only for them to be quickly swatted down by Ilia.

"Sun! It's not a date, we're scouting a potential meeting area for any threats to the integrity of our operations."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"It's almost midnight, we should probably get going," Ilia realized.

"Yeah, go on and get out of here, try not to get caught up in any more trouble, and go easy on that arm," Yang said.

"Goodnight Yang," Blake said closing the door behind her as Sun started up the APC in the driveway.

"G'night," Yang mumbled turning away to see Ruby looking at her over the back of her chair with a smug look on her face.

"What are you looking at?"

"You being useless," Ruby said pointing out after Blake, "I didn't think you liked girls."

"Like you're one to talk miss fawning over the heiress."

"You have to admit she's attractive," Ruby said.

"Which one, Weiss or Blake?"

"Both, but I was talking about Weiss."

"Yeah but she's supposed to be, she's the poster girl of a company that almost runs this kingdom."

"Yeah but she could just be conventionally attractive but she's so much more than that."

"Blake's no Mary Sue either, she's definitely something special."

"Like her name, Belladonna, deadly but beautiful."

"You read too much poetry," Yang snorted at Ruby's comparison.

"And you can be read like a haiku, you say: 'I like pretty girls, especially Blake, I can't help myself.' See it's easy, a toddler could do it."

"I think your syllable count is off," Yang laughed at Ruby's attempted rib.

"Yeah and so is your common sense, don't let her get in the way of your senses. I don't want you dying anytime soon."

"Sure sis, I'm going to sleep, we've got some busy days ahead."

"Yeah, we do."


	3. Across Town

"Oh my Oum."

"What?" Blake asked Yang after they'd exchanged pleasantries on meeting that morning.

"I haven't seen your Faunus trait yet, and those have got to be the cutest ears I have ever seen," Yang sighed looking at Blake's cat ears with extreme interest.

"I was only wearing a beanie yesterday, I was pretty sure you could tell through it," Blake said recognizing the typical response of humans who weren't immediately hostile towards her being a Faunus.

"I was a bit distracted by the fact that you were bleeding all over my couch," Yang said recalling the stressful events of the previous night.

"So was I to be honest, you satisfied with the security of the area?"

"Considering I spent three hours scouting the surrounding blocks, yes."

"Four hours, I tailed you for three miles as you backtracked through alleyways and side roads," Blake said as they crossed the street to the cafe Yang adjusting her coat uncomfortably realizing she hadn't even noticed that she was being followed.

"Why didn't you just tell me you were there?"

"I had to make sure I could still trust you despite the fact that we have to work together no matter what."

"I trust you, that's probably why I haven't searched you for weapons yet," Yang said as they sat down in the cafe filled with the aroma of fresh pastries and various warm drinks.

"Don't you think that would be a bit forward of you?" Blake said with a small smile.

"C-considering this isn't a date, no, no I don't!" Yang stuttered her face turning even brighter red than it had been from the biting cold.

"Yeah, this isn't a date at all," Blake assured hurriedly attempting to hide her own blush.

"Yeah, aren't you having some coffee?"

"No, I'm still a bit hopped up on pain meds from last night to be honest."

"That makes sense, you did have almost a full bottle before you got there."

"I'm surprised I'm still feeling anything."

"Me too."

"Hey, you've got a motorcycle right?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I saw the helmet hanging by the door in your house as we came in. Also I saw you on my way to check the area first."

"Damn ninja," Yang chuckled.

"Maybe you could give me a ride sometime," Blake said with a broader smile.

"We'd have to get you a helmet, but sure I'd love to give you a ride," Yang said.

"Great, just call me when you want to, you've still got my number right?" Blake said winking.

"Uhm yeah, why do you ask?"

"Because I had the perfect line to go with it this time."

"That's a shame-"

Yang was cut off as a trio of police cruisers with sirens blazing soared past the cafe.

"One second," Blake said pulling out her phone.

"Hey," Sun said cheerily as he answered his phone.

"Did you guys do anything?"

"Besides meet Ruby where her taxi dropped her off? No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I think. Ilia did we break any laws where somebody could have reported us in the past few hours?"

"No, none that I know of," Ilia said.

"Well keep an eye out, I just saw some patrol cars headed your way."

"We've got an alibi, a Schultz officer who's a friend of ours."

"Don't rely on her."

"We won't, we've got a backup plan just in case of you know what," Sun chuckled as he hung up and turned to where Ruby and Ilia were waiting.

"You done?" Ilia asked.

"Yeah Blake was just being paranoid as usual, you know how she is when she sees cops going down here."

"What's going on?" Ruby asked.

"Just some cops coming down this way, Blake is always worried that we got caught or something," Ilia explained.

"I might get in trouble being around here, the cops in this sector aren't the biggest fans of me," Ruby said sheepishly.

"What did the all star Schultz member do to earn a reputation with the long arm of the law?"

"I may have thought of myself as a bit of an artist a few years ago," Ruby said gesturing at the many walls covered in graffiti around them as they walked.

"You were a graffiti artist?"

"Still am, just haven't gotten caught for a very long time, changed my style, changed my tag, changed my schedule, everything."

"What's your tag? Ilia used to be all about using graffiti as camo," Sun said excitedly.

"Thorn, it was Rosebud before I got caught but that was just a nickname my dad gave me."

"Wait, you're Thorn? The Thorn?"

"The one that painted rose thorns around the top of the walls last year? Yeah."

"I had a celebrity crush on you when a couple supposed pictures of you got leaked. Were those real, the pics with the barbed wire face mask and red hood?" Ilia asked.

"I'm wearing the hoodie right now, there's still holes in it where I got tazed once," Ruby said pointing to a pair of pinprick scorch marks on her back.

"Wow, your works are pretty good and red and green are the easiest colors for me to mimick intentionally."

"Glad to be of service, now how long is it going to take to get to this hideout of yours?"

"You're looking at it," Sun said pointing to a scrap built fence blocking off an alleyway.

"You're joking?"

"Nope," Ilia said pressing her finger through a knot hole in a rotted plank of wood and pulled downwards sparking a chain reaction in the hidden mechanism of the entrance causing a piece of rusted sheet metal to be lowered from the wall exposing a small corridor.

"Sun, would you do the honors?"

"Why do I always have to go first, I always get my tail caught in the fly paper."

"Then crouch, it's short for a reason."

"Ugh, this is tall people oppression."

"Being an actual oppressed minority you're not allowed to say anything about that."

"Whatever. Follow me," Sun said taking the lead into the cramped passage.

"That's weird," Blake said looking at her phone as Yang led her to where she'd left her bike to take them to meet up with the rest of their ragtag team.

"What?" Yang asked concerned something had happened.

"Nothing bad, just that I got a confirmation message of an odd sum of a hundred thousand lien from a certain KG outside the kingdom, there's an attached message, 'Find the Fireworks', I wonder what that means?"

"The purpose is listed as a donation, so maybe it's somebody who'd like to see Atlas back in the open again?" Yang said peering at the screen.

"Maybe," Blake agreed.

"We'll try to figure this out once we meet up with everyone else and get started on plans for what to do until we're needed for something directly," Yang said as they reached the custom built bike she had dubbed the Bumblebee for its paint job.

"Yeah, I've never ridden a motorcycle before," Blake said as she watched the blonde straddle the vehicle.

"You'll have to wear Ruby's helmet until we can get one that fits you and your ears, I hope it's not too uncomfortable," Yang said handing the Faunus girl the small red helmet as she strapped on her own and put on the pair of sunglasses she wore to keep ice glare out of her eyes.

"It's fine for now, thanks," Blake said sitting behind Yang and wrapping her arms around her waist tightly as he engine revved before the powerful bike tore off down the street.

"Fuck!"

"Dude watch your goddamn language, there's fucking kids around!"

"Shit man no need to curse so damn much!"

The three raucous yet well dressed armed thugs were silenced by a frilly pink parasol being stuck out towards their throats and knowing of the handiwork the springloaded blade within could do shut their mouths.

Watching a rapid fire string of sign language their orders were given.

"Yes ma'am, we'll go set up the posters."

The three men split off and began to set up the brightly colored posters in the periodic gaps between many murals painted by children on the tall concrete walls surrounding the compound the small woman who led them entered. Stepping through the gate she opened her parasol to block the bright tropical sun she was unused to as she strode through the garden following a path littered with toys and playground equipment being used by hundreds of young children most of which bore Faunus traits. A small girl with a scarred face and a stubby tail that had been cut in half years ago in a cold alleyway rushes towards the silent woman holding a piece of paper in one hand and a handful of crayons in the other.

"Icecream lady! I made you a drawing," the girl said presenting the sloppy sketch to the mute enthusiastically.

Bending down to get a better look at the picture she saw that it was a portrait of herself holding the bloodied hidden blade.

 _"It's great, why the blood?"_ she signed.

 _"It's when you saved me,"_ the girl signed back.

The pair of mismatched eyes switched to pure pink for a moment as the mute smiled at the little girl and ruffled her hair playfully before asking a question, _"Where's Ghira?"_

"Daddy is inside talking to more hunters from the V place, I can't remember which one but they're all sandy like around here."

 _"Can you take me to him?"_

 _"Sure, if you take me for ice cream later."_

 _"Deal."_

The two locked pinkies and the scarred Faunus led the way inside to where negotiations were being made.

Metal scraped on concrete as Adam slid the large door leading into the boss's office at the back of one of hundreds of warehouses lining the wall of the city adjacent to the harbor where what little trade Atlas conducted was based.

"What do you want kid, can't you see I'm busy?" Roman asked taking off the reading glasses he wore for paperwork.

"We need another shipment," Adam said eyeing the mobster's cane leaning against the desk he sat at.

"How much?"

"Twice last times order, we lost an internal deal due to someone running interference for the state within our ranks."

"Might have to watch out myself then, you know how much this would normally cost but prices are up now, thirty percent increase."

"Are you trying to scam me? These guns aren't worth that much!"

"They are now that a fortress has been built in the middle of the harbor."

"What are you talking about?"

"Information has a price too."

Adam snarled and threw a wad of cash into the table.

Roman laughed and counted the money as he spoke, "Massive rig, took them a couple weeks to set up, it's basically a miniature Central Command out in the harbor. They've been sending materials to it nonstop by lift even after construction ended, seems like they're working on something out east. Mistral is expanding and top brass are getting antsy about it. One thing I did see was a massive bullet, had to be at least a hundred and fifty."

"Millimeters?" Adam asked unimpressed at the note of an average artillery shell.

"No. Centimeters."

"Why do they need shells that big?"

"I'm guessing coast gun, something to lob shells across the ocean."

"Thanks for the info, we'll pay for the shipment when it gets here, as usual."

"Don't cause too much trouble now, it's bad for business."

"That's the point, you'll go down too eventually."

"Sure, whatever."

Roman watched the White Fang leaders back intently as he left before pulling out his illegally modified phone with which he could contact people outside the kingdom and selected the unlabeled contact at the top of the list.

"Yeah it's me, we're running out of time. The upstart is getting ahead of himself. The girl hasn't contacted me yet either, this plan of yours better work."

"Don't worry about it dear, we've recently acquired the loyalty of some new muscle and your little friend is certainly doing a good job of recruitment around here."

"Neo always was good at earning people's trust."

"Yeah, she probably would've been killed before I found her if she wasn't."

"It was good that you brought her to us when she got hurt, she probably wouldn't have lived to see shore if you'd gone home."

"I know Missus B, I know."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Kali?"

"I'm a gentleman, I can't help it."

"You'll have to stay a while next time you visit, the children miss your presents."

"They're greedy, I'll make sure to bring something though."

"It's about time I start getting supper ready I'll have to check in with you later. Call me when you find her alright?"

"I will, you can count on it, us street kids gotta stick together after all."

"Take care of her."

"I'm sure from what the news is saying she can handle herself, supposedly took down a whole breaching squad yesterday."

"She's a tough girl, that's why we left her. Bye Roman."

"Bye Missus B," Roman hung up and called to one of the guards stationed outside his door.

"Sir?"

"Bert I need you to deliver a message, send an invitation to this address for the Gun Show."

"You sure this is the right place sir? Nobody lives there."

"Just deliver the damn letter, you get paid whether they live there or not."

"Sorry sir, I'm on it."

"Good."

Roman leaned back in his seat and lit one of his signature cigars before returning to dealing with the more legal paperwork attributed to his line of work. He reached for a cigar out of the box he kept in his jacket but before lighting it thought better of it and just chewed on the butt.

"Gotta quit, air's bad enough as is," he grumbled as he dove back into his work load.

"Tomorrow marks our first day on the job as spies within a massively biased military state, wish us luck!" Yang said toasting as the five of them sat around a barrel fire in the secret hideout.

"Good luck you two, don't blow our cover," Sun nodded taking a sip from the cheap beer he'd picked up from one of the blackmarkets being run nearby.

"We won't, it's just another day of subtly influencing a member of Atlesian high society onto our side so she can assassinate her father," Ruby said as she poured herself a glass of water after her first and only bit of alcohol that night.

"Why is she doing it anyways? Aren't you a marksman? You could easily do it yourself," Ilia asked.

"It's about sending a message, having some unnamed, unknown traitor take him out from afar wouldn't do much, but his own daughter? That sends a stronger message, a message saying that anyone could be on our side no matter how complacent they seem," Blake explained, "That's one of the few things Adam taught me that I'll be glad to use especially against him."

"So what's the deal with you and the infamous Adam Taurus?" Ruby asked.

"I was a child of the streets after the orphanage I lived in was shut down as a tax shelter for a massive portion of the mafia leaving me homeless before I ended up with the White Fang at eleven. After a year there I encountered Adam, he was this tough guy ordering the men under his command around as if he was a seasoned leader despite only being seventeen. We were on a routine scrap search looking for anything on the streets that could be useful to our cause or helping others, this was before we got really violent. He took me under his wing that day, taught me everything he knew and I followed him from then on I didn't realize how bad that decision would be until later on. He grew more and more violent as time went on, he always made excuses and at first I believed him, then I wanted to, and then I couldn't. He killed people, not just police and soldiers but some of his own men. He hurt people who got in his way," Blake looked down at her feet, "He hurt me. That's when I realized he'd been that way the whole time. He wanted nothing less than human genocide and being the closest one to him I had the best chance to stop him that's when I backed away, I didn't outright leave until he discovered we were working against him and we left."

"She picked up us two misfits around the halfway point. I was with her in the orphanage but we got separated when the cops thought I was a human and sent me off to a correctional facility until I ended up beating up three other kids and one of the teachers two years in after they started talking shit about Faunus and I couldn't stand it anymore. It was such a shame my uniform was covered in blood my mugshot would have looked much better, I got out a couple months later and ended up with the White Fang of course, immediately started crushing on Blake and basically followed her everywhere almost like her and Adam but not terrible. My feelings weren't reciprocated but I old no hard feelings and have moved on so we can still be friends to this day."

"I just got roped into their mess by accident, found the two of them hiding in the alley from cops when I was taking out the trash for my parents and I took them inside. I was never officially in the Fang but I was an honorary member who was a good source of a warm meal and a soft bed if you're caught out in the cold, my parents are a bit better off than most because they work the incinerators and get paid extra to stay quite about it," Sun shrugged poking the fire with a bit of scrap metal.

"May as well tell our sob story while we're here, right Rubes?"

"It's not that bad," Ruby protested.

"Only because we have enough money to live on properly. Anyways, it started out with our parents, all three were hunters back when this place was called Mantle and still needed them. Our moms and dad were the best of the best so of course they got drafted for the war effort as soon as it broke out but dad had to stay behind to take care of me. Then it's time for them to go on leave and one mom doesn't come back, there was no death report and our other mom saw her the whole time until she disappeared somewhere in the middle of Mistral, she was apparently posthumously dishonorably discharged for desertion but both me and dad call bullshit on that and I'm sure Summer would say the same if she were still alive too. Ruby was born while she was still here and I turned one a couple weeks before then but it was back to the frontlines for mom and after three years the war ended and she never came back. There was a death report but it was vague, it said she got caught in a fire trying to pull crew out of a burning tank but there are so many inconsistencies, at the time she wasn't deployed with an armored division and any she may have encountered would have been the first of Atlas's UAV program meaning no crew to be rescued. Dad became a teacher at the academy to try to find out what actually happened but there's been no leads whatsoever and he's basically given up now that it's been over thirteen years. And so there we stand, two MIA mothers and a depressed father who we don't even see because of his work."

"I can say one thing, they're probably not dead. Mistral had an incredibly low death toll even among troops that deserted to their side. They were better supplied and better equipped for the environment despite being lesser technologically speaking," Sun spoke up.

"And you know this how?" Yang asked.

"Parents came from Mistral, criminals of war or something, eventually got released afterwards but never got to go home. They probably know more about Mistral than any historian in this damn kingdom."

"Well if we do this right they'll be able to go home."

"Just gotta make sure we don't die in the meantime," Sun said chugging the last of his illegal beer.

"Not dying is generally the plan in any situation," Ruby said stretching in her seat.

"I don't know dying sounds pretty good right now with how tired I am right now," Yang said yawning.

"We should probably head back to command we've got another day of bodyguarding to do tomorrow, let's hope it's about as interesting as yesterday, maybe I'll be able to sneak a nap while we're driving somewhere."

"Yang this is important so maybe we should leave quickly and get some proper rest," Ruby urged.

"Fine fine, we'll check up with you guys once we're done doing our jobs, try and figure out what that weird message meant."

"Can do Yangarang, we're on the case!" Sun said cheerfully his face flushed red.

"Are you really that drunk already?" Ilia asked as the monkey Faunus nearly fell out of his chair.

"I've been drunk since Thursday I'll have you know and their father's liquor cabinet didn't help."

"You're a real mess."

"At least I didn't beat up a bunch of children."

"I was a child too at the time!"

"Excuses, excuses."

"Goodnight guys," Ruby said backing out of the hidden entrance.

"Yeah, goodnight," Yang said following her sister.

"Yang! Text me when you get home, you're part of the family now, I'm gonna worry about you too," Blake called after them.

"No problem mama cat."

"This the right place?"

"Definitely, you can tell by all the hobos guarding the door. We're more likely to find who we're looking for here than where they actually live."

"I don't like the look of this place."

"It's only the outer layer, they've boarded and covered it to keep people from getting suspicious it's actually really nice on the inside."

The pair of hired guns approached the one open doorway of the massive imposing building where a group of six dirty men dressed in rags stood armed with pipes and boards.

"Watchu want? Don't need food obviously," the lead of the homeless guards said taking note of their clean clothes and guns.

"Just here to deliver something, are the Wukongs in?"

"Always are them two, what you deliverin?"

"A letter, nothing tricky, just an invitation for a friend of theirs we can't get ahold of."

"Hand it here and I'll see it gets to em."

"We were instructed to give it to them personally."

"And we were instructed not to let anyone inside."

"You're a tough guy obviously, how's this? You take us to them and I'll hook you and your buddies up with jobs for Torchwick."

"You pulling my leg? Torchwick?"

"His stamp's on the letter obviously."

"He still got all those benefits for his men?"

"Fresh clothes, two meals a day minimum, good pay, and a place to stay."

"And dental!" The second thug chimed in.

"You get dental?"

"I had a real bad lisp and my teeth got fucked up in a fight the boss paid for me to get work done so he could understand me when I'm talking."

"Makes sense, he even gives you special treatment so you can work better. He may be a criminal but he's not a dick."

"Everyone who ain't rich is a criminal, the police is the real criminals."

"Amen to that, so, you letting us in?"

"Hook us up with Torchwicks crew and I'd storm the damn capital building with ya!" The man chuckled and led the two inside.

"First stop?" Ruby asked as they stepped into the limo.

"One of my favorite tailors, uptown, I'm getting fitted for a new dress to wear to the cocktail party tonight. Father insists on trying to find me a proper suitor by sending me to these parties when I'd rather be working."

"Where's the party?"

"Capital Hill, west side."

The west side of the large hill in the center of the city where the capital building was located was prime land for the elite of Atlas to build mansions.

"Should we be more discreet or intimidating?"

"Depends on how threatening you can look in your dress uniforms," Weiss said adjusting her pencil skirt as she sat down.

"Yang could pull it off, mine is too big."

"I'll take you to get fitted for another tomorrow, you need to look good to be my security. For now you'll be on rooftop detail then, I've been told you're an impressive marksman by my sister."

Ruby blushed at the praise and looked away sheepishly.

"I'll be with you on the ground then," Yang assumed.

"Correct, try to flex as much as possible to scare off any suitors, romance is the last thing I'm worried about right now."

"Understood."

They arrived at the tailors shop within half an hour and were ushered into the back where Weiss would be fitted. Along the way Yang noticed some rather military looking pieces of clothing on mannequins.

"What are those?" She quickly asked the attendant who was guiding them.

"Holsters, for knives, swords, pistols, anything a gentleman may like to show off during a party or to wear during a duel."

They continued into the back where a slim dress was waiting on a stand, it was shimmering turquoise had thin straps over the shoulders and a long slit up the left leg nearly to the hip. Weiss quickly changed into it not noticing Ruby attempting to hide her blush once more.

"Hmm, you've gained some mass, working out again?" The tailor asked absentmindedly as he worked to loosen the dress around the thighs, back, and hips where new muscle had outgrown her previous measurements.

"Yes, despite fathers protests."

"Something about a suitor?"

"Of course."

"Not a man in this city deserves you dear, you're different from the usual crop of ditsy high class girls, much more down to earth."

"If you were my brother I'd think you were joking about my height."

"I prefer short people, easier to measure, uses less material."

Weiss twirled in the mirror after the adjustments were complete and examined herself.

"It's missing something."

"I thought you'd say so. Upper or lower?"

"Definitely lower, my leg feels too exposed."

"Hmm, a ribbon perhaps? No too frilly. A large brooch or house emblem? No too obvious."

"One of those holster belts? She fences and could bring her rapier," Yang suggested.

"Hmmm, the soldier makes a good point, no better way to scare off suitors than to bring a weapon. I have just the thing!" The tailor hurried away into the storeroom and returned with what resembled an x shaped grey silk belt with two buckles.

"Ah the color is perfect, something a bit darker yet still matching the shine, it was designed to hold rapiers and daggers along the thigh just lower than a typical waist sheath."

Working quickly the tailor wrapped it around Weiss's exposed leg and allowed her to examine herself in the mirror again.

"The weight of Myrtenaster would definitely make me feel more confident. This is perfect."

"I'll put it on your father's tab then. Good to see you again Miss Schnee."

"We'll be back tomorrow, one of my guards needs a new dress uniform."

"I noticed her combat gear seems rather ill fitting as well, I could assist with that too?"

"If you see fit."

"Then I shall. Do enjoy the party."

"I'll try," Weiss said waving good bye as they made their way back to the car to retrieve Myrtenaster before heading to the party which started in three hours nearly as long as it would take to get there.

The sun was just barely dipping over the western wall by the time they arrived barely half an hour late or "fashionably late" as Weiss had put it.

"I'm not one for dancing so when I can I'll try to just sit somewhere out of the way. Yang you're with me. Ruby, find a nice balcony or something," Weiss ordered as they stepped into the grand courtyard and garden within the security walls of the mansion, Weiss forgot who owned the place.

The majority of the party goers were the children of officials and CEOs making the party less sophisticated than most Weiss had been to, less of a cocktail party than a rave. Within the first hour more than ten different men approached Weiss either being put off by the heiress's sour attitude or her bodyguard's piercing glare. Eventually one decided he wouldn't give up so easily as the rest.

"Ah, Schnee, I wasn't expecting you to be here, you have a reputation for focusing on work," the well dressed young man said sliding into the chair across from her at the isolated table.

"And you are?" Weiss asked barely keeping the disgust from her voice.

"Henry, Henry Marigold. My father is hosting."

"Oh. A pleasure."

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Perhaps."

"Maybe a wine? A cocktail?"

"A Mai Tai."

"Good choice, one moment if you please," Henry stood and made for the bar both hands in his pockets.

"Sis, you watching him?" Yang muttered into her mic.

"Yep, he's got something in his pocket."

"Playing pocket pool?"

"Gross, no. He's got something in his hand now, whatever it was. He just took the drink, got the same thing as Weiss. He slipped something in her drink!"

"Narcs?"

"Probably, don't take any chances."

"I know what to do in a situation like this."

Henry was all smiles as he sat back down and handed Weiss her drink as he took a sip of his own.

"It looks like some more guests are arriving rather late, you should probably go greet them," Weiss said in an attempt to get rid of the stubborn boy.

"I'll leave you to your drink then, I'll be back though," Henry said turning towards the gate to see some of his friends arriving.

"He spiked your drink," Yang said already reaching to switch the two glasses.

"Of course he did, I'm not an amateur, it's basically a sport at events like this, see who can drug the most girls," Weiss said stirring her finger in the drink and checking her nail polish before Yang switched their positions, "Of course he'd use the most expensive option, at least now we get to watch him drug himself into next Sunday."

"Should we do something when he starts getting tipsy?"

"Have Ruby come down here and escort him to the bathroom, she can do as she pleases from there, just no blood. We'll get sued if she makes a mess," Weiss snorted imagining her near endless army of lawyers against the measly team the Marigold family had only owning two journalism corporations.

Time passed and slowly but surely his confident smirk turned dopey, his words slurred, and his eyelids drooped. Ruby appeared out of the hedges beside them that led into the flower garden and leaned him against her shoulder and dragged him inside to no ones notice. Once in a rather spacious full bathroom on the ground floor Ruby decided she'd get to work.

"Hmm, it's time the Thorn gets back to work," Ruby chuckled pulling a trio of red, green, and black pens from her suit pocket.

Framing his face with thorns first she made sure the pens were pushed hard against his face, sure to leave a mark even once the ink was washed away. Next she sketched her signature tag across his forehead. Her glee grew more childish and vulgar as her work continued.

"Hmm, how big of a dick should he be sucking?" She thought to herself.

"Rubes, you good in there?" Yang asked over their comms.

"Yep, hey how far do you think this guy could take a dick down his throat?"

"Seven inches."

"Thanks."

Ruby measured seven inches from his lips down to his neck and wrote new record at the point just below his Adam's apple. A few extra penises for good measure and her masterpiece was complete.

"Now where to leave him to wake up," Ruby's mind went back to a rose hedge she'd seen lining a wall of the house.

"Perfect," she whispered almost giggling.

Sneaking through the house she found a suitable vantage point from which to drop him, just high enough to leave him sore and scratched but not damaged at all.

"One last thing," Ruby pulled out her phone and snapped a picture sending it to Yang, Blake, Ilia, and Sun before dropping him over the carved marble railing and returning to her previous perch.

"Yang, show Weiss the picture I just sent you, see if she approves."

"Holy shit sis, that's brutal. Where'd you put him?"

"Rose hedge, out back. There's thorns but he won't be hurt and it's just under a balcony so it would stand to reason he fell himself. As to where the vandalism came from, it was obviously infamous fugitive and graffiti artist Thorn."

"They'll never know."

"Nope," Ruby said smiling smugly as she settled back against the roofing tiles.

Weiss had to keep herself from snorting when Yang showed her the finished work.

"She's rather thorough, isn't she."

"Ever the perfectionist, that's how she got such high marks in precision shooting."

"What's with the graffiti style stuff."

"She's a bit of a rebel outside of work."

"Wait, Thorn? The fugitive graffiti artist?"

"Maybe, just don't tell anyone."

"I love her work, the time she covered the High Atlas Academy's courtyard with bleeding roses was my favorite. It was just before my classes graduation ceremony and they couldn't get rid of it in time."

"Maybe she could do some commissions for you, anywhere you'd like vandalized?"

"I could name plenty."

"Give her a weekend and she'll do it," Yang smiled secretly giving herself a fist bump behind her back.

"Any other illegal activities you're up to as the elite of Atlas?" Weiss asked jokingly.

"Only the ones your sister's ordered us to."

"And what's that? Talk shit about the general?"

"Probably worse but if I told you we'd have to kill you."

"Or take you into witness protection," Ruby suggested from behind Weiss who jumped at her sudden appearance, "That's a little brutal don't you think Yang, she's far to valuable for a summary execution."

"Isn't it your job to protect me? And not joke about killing me under my sisters orders."

"She wouldn't let us either way, not like we want to, right Ruby?"

"Even with orders we probably wouldn't, but don't tell our bosses that."

"Your secret's safe," Weiss chuckled checking her watch to see it was a quarter till midnight.

"The party's beginning to die down, it might be a good time to consider heading home."

"The decision is up to you," Ruby shrugged.

"In that case, let's go. Before anybody gets suspicious as to where Henry disappeared to."

The three left unnoticed as the party continued and made their way to the car that sat waiting where they'd parked on arrival. Stepping in Ruby immediately realized something was wrong. The scent of cologne was absent and a faint scent resembling a wet dog had taken its place. The driver started the car and began to drive but again something changed, they were driving the wrong way.

"You know you're going the wrong way right?" Yang asked her hands already balled into fists having noticed the same things, "You could have at least gotten the route right."

"Damn!" the driver spat whipping around in his seat pulling a gun and pointing it straight at Weiss.

Yang brought her arm up slamming the would be assassins hand and gun into the roof causing it to go off. Ruby quickly grabbed the slide before it could chamber another round and ejected the magazine before jumping over the front passenger seat to get behind him. Turning again to stop Ruby from gaining control of the car he swung a fist which Ruby easily ducked under as Yang grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed his head into the steering wheel setting off the airbag and pressing the horn. Ruby drew the knife tucked into her dress boot and cut through the fully inflated airbag to reach the steering wheel so she could bring the car to a stop safely. Yang continued to struggle with the driver who had turned back around in an attempt to reload his gun. Yang was caught in a headlock with her own hand firmly around the assassins throat. Weiss moved quickly and drew Myrtenaster from the holster on her thigh and stuck its tip into his kidney, not a damaging or precise strike but painful nonetheless. Yang took control as the man loosened his grip in pain and pressing her forearm against his throat kept his head against the seat. Weiss realized there wasn't more she could do with a rapier in an enclosed car and so drew her revolver from the case she'd kept it in beneath her seat since their first visit to the slums. Weiss pulled back the hammer before pulling the trigger with the barrel pressed against the assassins free arm blowing his elbow apart with the full stopping force of a round once used to hunt big game but was now loaded into decorative revolvers, this one was far from decorative however. As the assassin screamed in pain Ruby slid her leg under the wheel from the passenger side as the car turned wildly in an attempt to brake. Brakes screeched against the wheels trying to stop the careening vehicle but barely managed to slow it down before it slammed sideways into a light post nearly tearing the car in half throwing Ruby from the window onto the roadside grass and Yang and Weiss into the door while the assassin remained tangled in the torn airbag. Ruby quickly rolled to her feet and brushed off the scrapes and bruises thatcame from being thrown from a vehicle coming to a very quick stop.

Running over to the car she delivered a flat palmed strike to the assassin knocking him out cold and breaking his nose before helping Yang and Weiss from the wreckage, Weiss was knocked unconscious by the impact against the armored door and was unresponsive.

"Yang call an ambulance, I'll try and get her up again. Punch him if he tries anything," she gestured in the general direction of the disguised driver.

Ruby checked Weiss's pulse and could feel it slowing down as her breathing cane to a stop. Realizing the corset she was wearing was restricting her breathing too much Ruby took the knife still in hand and cut through the dress and corset to loosen it before beginning CPR. Ruby pushed quickly and hesitated before instinct pushed her to continue with the mouth to mouth. After nearly two minutes of frantic compressions Ruby leaned down one last time as Weiss's pulse began again and she attempted to pick herself up causing an awkward collision of lips and faces.

"Ow, sorry, I was just uh. CPR. Yeah. That," Ruby muttered flusteredly the panic of the near death situation fading.

"It's fine," Weiss said her own face blushing but maybe that was just blood flow returning.

Weiss reached up to Ruby for help getting on her feet and Ruby took her hand pulling her up gently.

"You've got blood on your hand, are you hurt?"

"No, it's not my blood, or bones for that matter, there seem to be a few chunks there too," Weiss said inspecting her shooting hand that had been coated in gore after nearly blasting the mans arm in half.

"You're safe is what matters. What I'm wondering is what happened to our actual driver."

"They've dispatched a squad car back to the party to find what happened to the driver, an APC with medical and our proper equipment are on their way here along with some reinforcements," Yang told the two as she hung up.

"Good, I need to get out of this and back into my gear. I feel exposed without a gun."

"All the more reason to reach officer status, they get to keep their sidearms with their dress uniforms."

"I know and it's stupid that we can't, even while on duty."

"I might be able to put in a good word for special permission or some changes because that situation would definitely have gone better if one of you had been armed more than a knife," Weiss suggested.

"Thanks, in the meantime we need to more properly deal with this guy," Yang said stepping over to the unconscious assassin who still lay slumped in the drivers seat.

Checking his pulse Yang found he was still alive. Heaving the dented door open she pulled his body from the totaled vehicle and tossed him unceremoniously onto the asphalt. With his whole body in the open she noticed a dog tail tucked into the ill fitting dress pants and a White Fang mask in the back pocket.

"White Fang, looks like you're getting popular against the enemies of the state. We might have to give you some more guards for when we're off duty."

"That's unfortunate, now I'll be able to leave home even less. Father is far to overprotective."

"We can handle it, right Yang?"

"We'll take on the whole White Fang if we have to, it's our job after all."

"I like to think you're doing it for more than the fact you're getting paid but I've found money is a good motivator no matter the cause."

"You're right about that," Ruby said realizing how it was accurate in both good and bad ways.

Sirens could be heard approaching from both directions as their reinforcements had finally arrived. The APC escorted by two squad cars came to a stop on the side of the empty road to check the three for injuries before loading them up to be taken back to the Schnee Manor. Ruby and Yang checked and put on their equipment and were told that their orders were to stay with Weiss for the night in case of any further attacks. The would be assassin was loaded into one of the squad cars to be put into custody while emergency services arrived to clean up the crash debris.

"You mind if I take this?" Yang asked Weiss as she got a phone call.

"It's fine."

"Thanks. Hey."

"I heard sirens, was that you? It sounded like it was coming from the upper districts."

"Yeah that was us, just a little White Fang encounter, our objective helped us out pretty well."

"Weiss? How'd the princess help?"

"She's actually a pretty good shot believe it or not."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"She's actually ripped, she does gymnastics and fencing."

"I'll believe that when I see it too."

"Anyways, thanks for checking in but we've got to get back to work, I'll call you later."

"Alright, stay safe Yang."

"You too."

"Who was that?" Weiss asked curiously.

"Just a friend."

" _Just_ a friend?" Ruby teased.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah I'm serious, you like her."

"Not like that though."

"You sure?"

"Oh so it's a girl?" Weiss asked.

"Yes," Ruby answered before Yang could protest.

"It may not seem like it but I'm rather versed in women, my sister would often bring home various girls while she was just starting out in the military even some of her commanding officers."

"I can't imagine the guts it would take to fuck a CO."

"Enough as they're the guts that got her to being the generals right hand."

"But isn't his right hand robotic?" Ruby said sarcastically.

"She really has all of his trust, she could really influence the government from where she stands."

"So could we considering we serve directly under her. We literally can't take orders from anyone besides her or higher ranking than her."

"You're on the fast track to the top, I wish you luck."

"I couldn't care less about rank, I'm fine where I am, right in the thick of things."

"I just want to make a change," Yang added.

"Don't we all," Weiss sighed.

The APC hissed to a stop outside the manor after some time. Yang and Ruby led Weiss inside where she made straight for her room to sleep off the stressing past few hours. Ruby and Yang decided to take watch in shifts allowing the other to sleep for a few hours at a time.

"Ruby. It's your turn."

Ruby shook her head to wake herself up and stood up grabbing her gun from beside the seat where they'd been sleeping. Ruby checked her watch as she moved over to the wall beside the door where they'd stand while on watch and saw that it was nearly one in the morning. Looking over to where Weiss slept on the grand four poster bed a strange sense of calm fell over her as she studied the girls face. The sharp jawline and chin contrasted the soft cheekbones. Ruby's attention was drawn to the scar that crossed her left brow. She wondered how the sheltered heiress could have obtained such a wound and why she didn't just have it surgically removed by one of the talented doctors at the beck and call of the rich.

"I'll have to ask her sometime," Ruby muttered to herself before settling against the wall for the long shift ahead.


	4. First Contact

"Blake!" Sun called to the cat Faunus who was occupied with her thoughts while holding watch over the area they'd decided to scout for White Fang that morning.

"Hmm, yeah?" Blake snapped out of her daze and addressed her friend.

"Got a message for you, direct from my parents, they say some guys delivered it last night."

"Let me see," Blake said taking the envelope from his hands.

Opening the package she found a wad of cash at least in the quadruple digits and a small note.

"Meet me at the Gun Show club. Bring your friends. Eight o'clock. Don't be late," Blake read the note.

"I've heard of the Gun Show. It's run by Roman and his gang. I'm guessing that's what the donation message meant by fireworks," Sun mused.

"Me and Yang will go first and show up around seven, you and Ilia can get there at eight and Ruby can stay outside on watch, just in case."

"Sounds like a good plan, let's hope it goes well. You want me to call everybody in?"

"Yeah, get Winter too, she needs to know about this."

"Got it. You alright? You seemed a little off when I got here."

"It's nothing, just thinking about some smaller problems," Blake said blushing.

"Oh. I see. Don't hurt yourself over it, you're still our leader."

"Who? You and Ilia? We're just a couple friends in the middle of a revolution, nothing major, no serious part of it."

"Each of us is important to this. Remember we're the only ones who were in the White Fang. We know how they work. And you know how Adam himself works."

"Yeah, though I honestly wish I didn't."

"Well you do, but it's not what defines you."

"Thanks. Let's get going, we've got to get the hideout looking nice for the boss."

"Is that what we're calling her now?"

"Whatever, she's basically our boss."

"True."

The two climbed back down the fire escape to where the just repaired and repainted swat van waited.

"Glad we blew some of that money on this thing, it'd be a shame to waste," Sun said patting the side as he opened the passenger door.

"Almost completely bulletproof and untraceable. Now that we've gotten rid of the trackers we're invisible on the roads," Blake said turning the key and starting up the beast of a truck.

"And it's warmer than outside," Sun said taking off the gloves he'd been wearing.

"Of course."

They arrived at the hideout and found Winter chatting animatedly with her soldiers.

"What's up?" Sun asked coming through the entrance first.

"Just giving a rough debrief of last night," Ruby answered.

"A White Fang assassin made an attempt on my sisters life on the way back from a party she had attended under their watch, I was merely commending them on their performance," Winter added.

"I already filled them in on what Yang told me, I didn't hear the White Fang part," Blake said.

"Where's Ilia?" Sun asked looking around, "She should have been here already."

"Over here," Ilia said as she changed back to her normal colors and stepped out of the shadows in the back of the alley.

"Listening in?" Winter asked sarcastically.

"Just making sure we can trust you with this place, I know we can trust them but it's you I want to keep an eye on."

"I can't blame you, but I need you to know that you can, which is why I'm letting you meet Torchwick alone and unsupervised. No cameras, no microphones, I'm leaving this entirely up to you five."

"No backup?" Yang asked.

"You'll have backup if you really need it, but don't expect much, they'll be undercover and underarmed compared to typical gear; we can't give away how involved we actually are."

"So we're incognito and unarmed?"

"Not unarmed, you have full permission to take whatever you can keep hidden with you, just try not to kill any civilians."

"That's the idea."

"With that out of the way there's one last thing, tomorrow you'll start your new shift as Weiss's full time bodyguards, the only time you won't be watching her is over the weekends. Don't tell her anything other than what I specifically tell you to, she'll be involved soon enough."

"Just give us the word and we'll fill her in," Ruby affirmed.

"That won't be happening, I'll do it myself. Now you should start getting ready, it's almost four," Winter suggested as she looked at her watch before leaving the five of them to their own devices.

"We need to get dressed up, this place is pretty fancy as far as illegal clubs go," Yang said.

"Ilia?" Blake prompted as Ilia disappeared into a nook in the back of the alley again and returned dragging a huge chest.

"We've got plenty of clothes to choose from, any style you want. Feel free to mix and match as you please, if you need a different size or fit I'm sure I could do a bit of trimming," Ilia said grabbing a needle and thread from the top of the clothes packed into the box.

"We are gonna look so good," Yang said before almost diving into the clothes.

"I'll just sit this one out, I don't really need to dress up to sit outside and watch entrances," Ruby decided.

"Nope, you'll be coming in too, you're just watching the entrances before we get in and once we're in we'll get you inside."

"But I don't want to dress up, I just want to stay in my hoodie," Ruby groaned.

"I'm sure we'll find something you like."

"I don't like it," Ruby whispered into her microphone as she watched the lines of people coming in and out of the club.

"You look good though!" Yang protested thinking of how long it took to find something that even fit her sister's small frame.

"It's all itchy and I don't even like flannel."

"It's only itchy because it hasn't been worn in a while, it should be fine in an hour or so. Plus you gotta get that iconic lesbian look."

"Ugh, you're terrible."

"Yeah, bringing my little sister who's barely eighteen to a club run by a notorious criminal is a pretty bad idea," Yang said sarcastically.

"Let me focus, and besides you're almost to the door," Ruby hissed as she redirected Yang to the front of the line where she and Blake had finally reached.

"Names?" the rough looking bouncer asked as he looked at a clipboard.

"Blake Belladonna and her plus one," Blake said confidently.

"You're not on the list, and I've heard all the excuses before, only other way you're getting in is by winning a match in the ring."

"What?" Yang asked interested by the mention of a fighting match.

"Only rules are no weapons and no killing, otherwise you're free to fight as you like, even two on one," the bouncer explained as he pointed to another door further down the wall of the building where cheers echoed out.

"Guess I'll fight our way in, thanks for nothing," Yang shot back at he bouncer as they walked away.

"My pleasure," the bouncer muttered.

Yang and Blake made their way down the alley beside the club where an open door emblazoned with a neon sign showed that this was where the fights were held.

"Our first challenger of the night is stepping forward to take on the defending champion, Brutusssss!" The announcer shouted into his microphone as the small crowd cheered and began to make bets as Yang jumped into the ring where a massive bald man waited.

"Brutus? Is that a nickname? I swear you look like a Francis," Yang taunted as she put her hands up and prepared for the fight to begin.

"Big mouth, big target," Brutus growled before setting himself into a defensive stance.

Before the muscular man could even blink Yang was under his guard with an uppercut before sweeping his less powerful legs out from under him. As the giant fell Yang grabbed one of his ankles and pulled it as far towards his shoulders as it would go before doing the same with his right elbow to ensure he couldn't get up while she was on top of him. Joints creaked under the pressure and Brutus struggled to pull himself towards the edge of the ring. Yang finally released his aching arm and leg but not without kicking him in the gut a couple times before he was back on his feet. Bruno snarled in pain as he reached down and slapped the hand of an equally muscular but significantly smaller man outside the ring.

"Brutus is bringing in his partner, Chad! Will the challenger call in her partner to make it a fair fight?" The announcer asked the crowd hypothetically.

"Hell yeah! Blake get up here!" Yang said reaching for her Faunus friend who took her hand almost eagerly.

Blake stepped over the railing with a smile on her face and side by side with Yang took the fighters on headlong. Blake ducked under Chad's legs an spun around to wrap her calves around his head bringing him straight into the floor as Yang traded punches with Brutus. One meaty fist slammed into Yang's cheek turning her vision white and full of stars before she returned the favor tenfold. Brutus feel to the ground clutching his groin and watched in pain as the two young women ganged up on his partner. Blake finally released Chad from the chokehold she had him in only for him to walk straight into a piledriver from Yang sending him to the floor out cold.

"And that's a TKO folks, this is the first time anyone's beaten Brutus since he took the title! Young ladies would you mind telling us your names?"

"No thanks, we just came to have a drink," Yang said stepping past the booth the announcer sat in.

"Then first ones are on the house, try not to start any more fights while you're in there," the announcer said chuckling before calling for the next defending fighter to come out and take Brutus and Chad's place.

The club was lit up with dim yellow lights and flashing orange ones and the dance floor and bar areas were crowded while the seating was almost empty despite the enticement of a variety of pole dancers. Above the DJ booth near the back of the club was a balcony leading into an office of some kind. On the balcony stood a red headed man wearing a bowler hat and white coat. He looked straight at Blake and Yang, blew a puff of smoke from his cigar, and pointed them out for somebody inside the office.

"Guess that's Roman?" Yang said.

"Probably, I think he sent someone to get us."

"Let's get one of those complimentary drinks first," Yang said darting towards the bar beside them.

"You guys won the entry fight?" the bartender asked curiously.

"Yep," Yang said tapping the bruise on her cheek as if it were proof.

"Well here's your free drinks, next ones you pay for, got it? Now what do you want?"

Yang ordered a strawberry sunrise and Blake ordered a scotch on the rocks. After grabbing their drinks they turned around to see a rather short woman with a parasol waiting for them. She gestured for them to follow her before stepping into the crowd that parted around her as if she were a venomous snake poised to strike. She lead them past the dance floor and up a staircase into the lavishly decorated office above.

"How nice of you to join us, you're right on time. I was honestly expecting more friends," Roman welcomed them warmly.

"We have a few coming, maybe you should put their names on the list like you forgot to do for me," Blake suggested.

"Huh, I swear I told somebody to do that, well you got in didn't you? It's all fine. Tell me their names and I'll make sure Neo gets them on the list."

"Ilia, Sun, and Ruby," Blake answered.

"You got that?" Roman asked looking at Neo.

She signed rapidly in response.

"Yeah alright, watch your language, just get it done."

Neo shook her head irritatedly before stepping out of the office waving at Yang and Blake as she left.

"Go ahead and take a seat while you wait, there's a lot to talk about once your friends get here. Meanwhile you can introduce yourselves," Roman said gesturing to a leather couch in front of the red stained wood desk he sat at.

Blake sat down while Yang chose to remain standing and leaned against the arm of the couch beside her.

"Now I already know enough about you, Blake Belladonna. Former White Fang, throwing wrenches in Adam's plans since you broke up with him almost a year ago before completely leaving outright three weeks ago while getting involved in an attack on a Schnee building."

"How do you know all this?" Blake asked.

"I have informants everywhere, including that kid running that burger place you stopped at after that firefight with a swat team. Anything you think I should know that I might not?"

"Probably not, nothing that isn't personal at least."

"Well that makes things easier, we can get to know each other later once I've explained more stuff like where all that money came from and why I find what you and your friends are doing so interesting. Now you, blondie. Who are you?"

"Yang Xiao Long."

"Anything else? Occupation? Reason you managed to almost singlehandedly take down Brutus? The fact that you're packing some serious military grade heat in that jacket of yours?"

"Let's just say I've got an inside perspective of Atlas's best."

"Ah, Schultz. I should have guessed by how well you took that punch. Your sister too?"

"How'd you know about her?"

"I've got cameras covering every block around this place I've been watching and listening in for the past couple hours. And I'll take that as a yes. That and the standard issue Schultz DMR she was toting around up there."

"You know a lot of things don't you?" Yang said through gritted teeth.

"You got that right. Oh look your friends are here," Roman said standing up to greet the three of them who had been led by Neo as Blake and Yang had.

Ilia looked around the room suspiciously while Sun jumped right into the couch beside Ruby.

"Now I can really get to explaining. Well less me more somebody else," Roman chuckled as he turned around and pressed a button on a remote that had been laying on his desk causing a screen to slide out of the ceiling behind him.

"I have one of the few secure lines out of Atlas in this room right now, you are about to speak with somebody in Menagerie."

"Where's that?"

"Forgot you kids aren't taught much about what's going on outside anymore. Menagerie is a new independent kingdom that was established after the war for Faunus. All Faunus are free from prosecution there and have equal rights. You'll be speaking with the Chieftain of Menagerie and his wife, they're the ones that sent you that money," Roman said smiling as he initiated the connection.

"Hello Roman."

"Kali, good to see you again. As you can see I managed to get ahold of her and her friends," Roman gestured to Blake.

"Blake. It's so good to see you again," Kali smiled sadly into the camera.

"Again? Have we met before?"

"Of course you don't remember me, I shouldn't have assumed. My name is Kali Belladonna. I'm your mother."

"My mother? That doesn't make any sense, I lived in an orphanage all my childhood, I was told my parents had died during the weeks after the war ended."

"No. We didn't die, we escaped. We had worked with the other kingdoms to stop Atlas near the end of the war and they came after us so to protect you we left you in the orphanage in case we were caught. Not a day has passed that we haven't thought about you and now that Atlas is on the verge of collapse we'll be able to see you again."

"Sorry if I sound skeptical, I've been lied to and betrayed before."

"We wouldn't do that to you. We're not like Adam. We know all about him. All about what he does to people. Which is why you need to stop him. We can only do so much from the outside, you need to be the ones to bring him and the government down."

"Well there's good news in that case," Yang cut in, "Me and my sister here are actually members of the Schultz and serve directly under General Ironwood's right hand Winter Schnee, both of whom happen to be leading a revolution amongst the ranks. They don't like the way things are being run, they know that this whole kingdom is going to run itself into the ground and needs to be fixed soon."

"And you're all involved?" Kali asked.

"Yes, all of us. It was a funny situation actually. Your daughter was shot, showed up at our house and bled all over our couch because she knew she could trust us after a coincidental meeting during a bombing that Adam orchestrated and then Winter showed up while we were trying to patch her up and basically voluntold us we were gonna help even though we kinda planned to do something of the sort from the beginning when we enlisted."

"So you have strong backing within the military as well as an informant inside one of the most influential companies in existence. This was unexpected but very welcome."

"Don't tell me you already started," a gruff voice complained from outside the cameras view.

"Sorry Ghira, but look! There she is!" Kali pointed right at Blake as her husband moved in front of the camera.

"You look just like your mother when she was your age," Ghira said sniffling a bit.

"Dad? Are you crying?" Blake asked, trying out the term tentatively.

"You don't have to call me that if you don't want to," he said noting her uncomfortable tone.

"No I want to, I've only ever wanted a family, and now along with these guys I've got you," Blake smiled wrapping her arms around her friends.

"I'm glad you found somebody to stick with you despite the circumstances, we'll have more time to get to know each other later on. Now on to planning for more serious things. You have support in the military which was unexpected but a good help for the final stages. Firstly we need to get the politicians that are against any change, which is the majority of them, scared; make attacks on strategic locations, destroy supplies and shipments but don't mimic the White Fang, help civilians and only kill when necessary. Make a name for yourselves among the lowest of society. Become protectors of the people and enemies of the state. Then start eliminating the high power opposition. Go after the White Fang, capture or kill the politicians and the rich who treat so many people as disposable labor, and lastly make the end known. Unveil that part of the military has been backing you the whole time, take control of the sinking ship and turn it around. In the final stage of the plan is where we can provide the most help. We will provide aid and financial help during the struggle to rebuild Atlas and bring down the walls."

"There is going to be resistance from those who resent change, we'll need help to deal with them."

"We've planned for that too. We have hunters and elite soldiers from every kingdom on call."

"Hunters?" Ruby asked about the unfamiliar phrase.

"They really have failed in education. You're soldiers aren't you? You have to have been told about the Grimm."

"Grimm are almost nonexistent around Atlas, the after effects of the nuclear conflict that ended the war destroyed most of them is what we were told."

"You were all lied to. The Grimm are as big a problem as ever outside of Atlas, there just weren't that many up there to begin with. Hunters are specialists in clearing out Grimm and making wilderness habitable again. They're professionals and better than any soldier."

"That sounds so cool, but wouldn't a lot of them die without more of them?"

"And that's where another thing comes in. We have people here doing as much research on what Roman brings us as possible and we've found that all food and water within Atlas has been contaminated with a chemical that restricts your aura and hides semblances. I'm sure they haven't told you about that if they're keeping people from having them."

"You're right about that. So go ahead and tell us what they are," Sun prompted.

"Your aura is like a shield protecting all of your body from injuries and healing ones you do get at an accelerated rate. Everybody has one but it has to be unlocked, there are two ways to unlock it: have somebody else use a bit of theirs to start yours or the most common way, through immense physical trauma. Semblances are a unique power that everybody has, they are influenced by your personality and change as you do, they can be passive or need to be consciously used. Some are hereditary but not many. Rarely they can have negative impacts but not often."

"Why wouldn't you want people to have this stuff?" Ruby questioned.

"Semblances can be incredibly powerful and aura can allow you to survive much more than you'd be able to typically and if every person has them the majority would easily be able to usurp the ruling minority, they wanted to maintain control knowing that rebellion would be inevitable."

"How are we supposed to get these back? It's not like we can just stop eating and drinking," Yang protested.

"That's where I come in. I'm a smuggler by default; I was literally born into it. I met your mom and dad as I escaped Atlas after my parents dumped me onto their ship and told the crew to go as far away as possible, I don't know what happened to them but Kali and Ghira took care of me, which kinda makes me your adopted brother in a sense," Roman said chuckling, "As I was saying though, I'm a smuggler, I've been stockpiling food from outside the walls, I've tapped into the water system just before they add the chemicals in the final stage of purification, it's perfectly safe to drink with the added benefit of getting your aura and semblances back. Through training you'll be able to take more hits than the robots they use to patrol outside and on the docks."

"There's so much they've been hiding from us," Blake shook her head.

"Next thing I'll be telling you that Atlas is actually he worst off out of the kingdoms right now, yeah our weapons may be the best but our population is dropping at a dismal rate and the others are expanding as fast as the radiation is letting them. Oh wait, I just did."

"You've got a lot of catching up to do kids, we'll help as soon as we can," Kali said.

Neo clapped drawing everyone's attention to her. She signed panickedly at Roman while pointing to the screen of a laptop she'd pulled out of a drawer.

"Welp, we're gonna have to cut this short. The feds are figuring out our little piggyback signal routine. Sorry to break up the reunion like this Kali," Roman said reaching to shut off the transmission.

"It's fine Roman dear, I'll be able to see her in person soon enough. Take care, all of you," Kali waved as the screen shut off.

Blake sat staring at the black screen for a moment before it slid back into place in the ceiling.

"Well that was a very educational turn of events," Ilia stated bluntly.

"Yeah," Blake said quietly.

"You alright?" Yang asked her friend.

"Yeah I'm fine, just trying to take it in. Like, those were my parents. I thought they were dead. I've always thought they were dead."

"They're not though, you've got family out there," Yang reassured her.

"I've got family here too. I've got you guys," Blake said looking around at her friends.

"And me!" Roman said smiling.

"I'm not sure about you yet," Blake said sarcastically.

"Really? No love for your adopted older brother?" Roman asked chuckling.

"Nope," Blake replied.

"You said you had supplies? Like stuff without whatever chemicals in it?" Ruby asked Roman with intrigue.

"Yeah, my guys have already loaded down your van, you should probably change the locks on it, we've got spare swat van locks for days."

"You had one job Sun," Blake said glaring at the monkey Faunus.

"Listen, I didn't expect people to have keys."

"Like, I dunno, the actual swat?"

"Okay yeah I fucked up."

"Just get out of here and I suggest not eating for a while before eating any of what I gave you, it makes it easier. And if any particularly weird stuff starts happening just call me," Roman handed Blake a card with his number on it before ushering them out of the club and instructing the bouncer to always let them in, list or not.

The five of them walked down the street to where the van had been left and climbed in, Yang taking the wheel and Blake sitting beside her in the passenger seat.

"How did it go?" Everybody turned to see Winter in the vehicle with them.

"You've gotta stop doing that!" Ilia said clutching her chest exaggeratedly.

"Sorry for the surprise. If you want you can fill me in on the way back or if it's particularly important I can get all of us in to see the general to tell him about this," Winter suggested.

"This is pretty big. Like time to fill Weiss in big. Like time to start recruiting big."

"Tell me while we drive I think somebody might have been tailing me. I'll explain things to Ironwood once we get to headquarters but it's about time you all meet him in person."

Yang slammed on the gas and tore off down the road before taking a sharp left turn setting them off towards the center of the sprawling city. Glancing into the rear view mirror Yang saw a bright red flash of light appeared in the sky.

"What is that? Anybody got a better view of it?"

Ruby craned her head out a window, "It's a signal flare but we've got bigger issues, like all those White Fang on our tail!"

The occupants of the van scrambled for where weapons had been stowed under seats and in lockers along the back walls. Ruby loaded AP rounds into her rifle and kicked open the back door to get a clean shot at the following vehicles. The first shot rang out and the first casualty fell as his motorcycle erupted into flames from the high caliber round hitting the center of the engine block. Ruby slammed back the bolt and took aim again as the White Fang vehicles sped up to reach the van.

"On the left!" Ruby warned of a motorcycle that had gotten close on their flank.

"Got it!" Sun shouted swinging open the door and blasting the rider with his shotgun.

"Right!" Ruby warned again as she fired off shots into an armored truck that was pulling up just behind them.

"My turn!" Ilia decided as she jumped out of the other window and landed on the biker before pushing off of him to send the vehicle and rider slamming into a building.

Ilia landed on the hood of the truck and without hesitation the tinted windows were shattered with gunfire as the occupants attempted to remove the chameleon Faunus. Jumping onto the roof and out of the way of their shots Ilia quickly decided to take the offensive by pulling a knife from her belt and swinging in through the window and into the passenger seat. The surprised Faunus had little time to react before the knife went through his throat. The driver drew a gun and tried to put it to Ilia's head but she already had a knife to his throat. The driver's head was suddenly replaced with a red mist and a inch wide hole in the seat behind him. Looking up Ilia saw Ruby give her a thumbs up before looking to other targets. Ilia shoved the two corpses out of the truck cabin and took control of the heavy vehicle. More trucks pulled up alongside Ilia and the van filled with even more White Fang.

"I've got this," Blake said as she got out of her seat and moved toward the back.

Blake nodded at Ruby before jumping out the back of the van and hitting the ground with a roll to maintain her momentum before jumping directly onto the bumper of the next truck that had begun pulling up behind them between Ilia and the van. Looking over the hood Blake saw the Faunus in the passenger seat swing out of the door and onto the roof. Blake gave the masked person a wave before launching herself up and knocking them off of the speeding vehicle and into the grill of Ilia's truck behind them.

"Ruby I've got an idea!" Yang shouted to her sister.

"What?"

"Aim for the drive shafts!"

"Alright."

Ruby adjusted her aim towards the third and final truck and fired into the drive shaft. The heavy caliber round penetrated and shattered the connected end of the drive shaft causing it to drop from beneath the truck and get stuck in the ground which launched the vehicle into the air.

"Remarkable driving Xiao Long," Winter complemented her idly as she watched the chaos unfurling behind them.

Ilia had jumped from her truck to the one Blake had commandeered leaving hers to stop on its own.

"Well that was an experience," Ilia gasped as she pulled herself into the passenger seat beside Blake.

"Yeah, it was. Give me a moment I need to get up there and talk to them, take the wheel."

Blake pulled up alongside the van and jumped over to it leaving Ilia to take care of the truck. Climbing into the back Blake greeted Ruby and Sun who had opened the doors for her.

"You _think_ you were tailed?" Blake hissed at Winter as she sat back in the passenger seat.

"I was definitely tailed. At least I know for sure you can handle anything now. And we're almost to headquarters," Winter said gesturing towards the massive central building ahead of them.

"You okay?" Yang looked over at Blake who's face was flushed red from exertion and the stinging cold wind.

"Fine. Just running on a lot of adrenaline right now. And my legs hurt. Hit the ground too hard."

"Is that the only thing that can actually hurt you? The ground itself?" Yang snorted with laughter.

"I mean I got shot that one time," Blake giggled.

"True."

Yang turned back to focus on the road and a few moments passed before Blake looked back towards her.

"Yang uh, there's something I need to tell you."

"Go ahead."

Blake grabbed Yang's chin and turned her head for a kiss before quickly releasing her and sitting back in her seat. Yang blushed profusely as she tried her hardest not to lose control of the vehicle.

"What," Yang asked dumbfounded.

"I like you. Like a lot. A lot more than I thought I ever could."

"Oh. I uh, I like you too, I just didn't really think you felt the same."

"Yang. Yang snap out of it now's not the time," Ruby sighed in defeat before raising her hand and slapping her sister.

"What the fuck was that for?"

"You're in a daze because Blake kissed you, now focus on the road you lovestruck idiot," Ruby snapped.

"Take a left!" Winter shouted over the sisters and Yang swung the van in the correct direction.

"Just stop bickering, Blake I didn't mean do it now when I said that, and Yang, congratulations you're now dating one of the best women in Atlas, if you break her heart nobody will ever recognize the body," Sun smiled at the newly realized couple.

"Thanks I guess," Yang smiled back nervously.

"Pull in here!" Winter shouted again.

The van was driven into an abandoned car parking garage followed by the truck Ilia had commandeered, a guard rail dropped down over the entrance behind them. After parking everybody stepped out and took a look around and jaws dropped as they reached a massive ramp leading into the underground portion of the structure. Rows upon rows of military vehicles up to and including tanks and mechanized walkers. Soldiers and mechanics by the dozens surrounded their hardware; busy maintaining the vehicles and weaponry they didn't notice the arrival of any of them as Winter led them down into the hideout.

"Commander on deck!" The first person to notice their presence shouted as they quickly dropped the welding torch they held and flipped up the mask as they saluted.

The sound of dropped tools clanging against concrete echoed through the cavernous room as people follows suit and were quick to line up near the entrance.

"At ease," Winter said gesturing with her hand for salutes to relax, "I've just come to deliver a captured vehicle and some intel to the general. Some of you may already be acquainted with the new Schultz recruits Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, but these three Faunus defected from the White Fang and will be assisting us in public recruitment and dealing with the White Fang themselves, welcome them as you would your own."

Raucous applause spread through the room as the six of them continued down the long hall. A hand reached out and patted Ruby on the shoulder and turning to see who it was she saw Coco Adel giving her a thumbs up before turning back to loading a heavy machine gun mounted on one of the newer models of bipedal walkers.

"Where'd you manage to get all this stuff? No way the council just lets you keep this all down here," Yang asked Winter as they walked towards a small door at the end.

"But they do, they fund and endorse it entirely. We've labeled it the Atlas Liberation Contingent. A hidden countermeasure to possible hostile takeover used to reestablish proper military order in case of a major threat."

"When really we're liberating the kingdom from them with their own money and resources, ironic, I like it," Ilia complimented as she took stock of the final part of the main chamber, a fully stocked armory of twenty foot floor to ceiling gun racks and shelves.

Hollow thuds marked the locations of explosives storage in the floor as they walked. A large machine dominated the floor space just past the armory before the rear exit.

"What's this?" Ruby asked as she took a close look at the large chrome plated device.

"State of the art custom part machining. Perfect for custom firearms and mimicking some of the weapons from other kingdoms, specifically those used by hunters," Winter explained.

"You know about hunters?" Sun asked skeptically.

"The higher up you are the better you can see," Winter said cryptically.

"She's got better security clearance and can access typically restricted information," Yang whispered into the monkey Faunus's ear.

"Oh."

"You could make almost any physically possible weapon with this, given a reasonable knowledge of mechanics. And not just conventional firearms, blades weapons, blunt, laser and plasma weaponry, and even combinations of as many as you can fit on something you can hold without it exploding, I'm sure some of you will take advantage of it. I'm trying to track down a proper hunter within Atlas to train some of you to be our special elite; I think I have a lead but I'm not sure if the drunk bastard remembers any more than his last drink."

"I can't wait to try it out!" Ruby squealed excitedly showing her preference for customizing the weapons she used no matter how against protocol it was.

"The General is waiting," Winter urged as she opened the door with a keypad code and closed it behind them letting it seal with a hiss.

A dark corridor lit only by small strip lights along the floor stretched into the distance ahead of them.

"This will get us into HQ and almost directly to Ironwood's office."

The group walked single file in the darkness for a few minutes before Winter opened another door and led them out into the waiting room that led to the offices of the highest ranking members of Atlas's military. Behind the receptionist's desk were five elevators, all of which were a one way trip to the very top of the massive cylindrical building. The receptionist herself smiled as she saw Winter come through the door that slid back into place seamlessly blending with the wall around it.

"Good evening, is the General seeing anyone right now?" Winter asked with mock politeness.

"Which one?" The receptionist joked before pressing one of five buttons inlaid into the desk.

"Thanks."

"New recruits?" The receptionist asked casually.

"Not really, they just haven't been here yet."

"Oh the street crew Ironwood discusses so often, he seems rather proud of your accomplishments," the receptionist said as she winked at Ilia causing the Faunus to change bright red.

"Oh, sorry about that. Didn't think it would cause that kind of reaction," the receptionist apologized quietly to Ilia just before the elevator dinged signifying it's arrival on the ground floor.

"It's fine," Ilia muttered before following her friends into the elevator.

"Don't let her get to you, she always does this with new people. It's a test. She tries to see who'll be easy to seduce for secrets. She taught me all there is to know about manipulating the higher ups into thinking what isn't true and ignoring the blatant truth. It's what got me where I am today."

"Are you two?" Ilia sputtered.

"No, it was a one time thing. If anything she's a one trick pony in bed. She was the one who made me realize I liked women but don't let my little sister know that. I'm available right now actually."

Ilia blushes further at this news.

Ruby snorted and barely contained her laughter, "I've now learned more about my superior officers sexual tendencies than I ever expected to while on the way to meet her superior officer to discuss a violent revolt and revolutionary movement against the very government we supposedly serve. What a day huh?" Ruby chuckled as she nudged her sister in the ribs.

"Really crazy day, yeah," Yang agreed completely distracted as she looked across the elevator at Blake who returned her gaze.

"I knew I shouldn't have ever let you start dating people," Ruby said in a crude imitation of their dad.

"Like you're any better, Miss I've got the hots for our charge," Yang retorted before realizing the company they were in.

"What's this about my sister?" Winter asked with a sly smirk on her face.

"Oh it's nothing just a little joke between us sisters," Ruby said as she elbowed Yang significantly harder than before.

"I'll discuss this further with you later Miss Rose," Winter said through gritted teeth and a strained smile.

"Yang!" Ruby hissed.

"Rest in peace little sister, you will be missed."

"Says the girl dating a former terrorist."

"You fail to sabotage a bombing one time," Blake said sarcastically.

"Cut the chatter, we're almost up," Winter cut in.

The door slid open directly into Ironwood's office. He turned dramatically from the full wall window behind him to look at the assembled group before him. He was wearing a wrinkly dress shit that had been unbuttoned to just below the collar allowing a good view of the split straight down his sternum where his body was divided between flesh and metal.

"Winter, I assume you have news if you chose now to introduce me to the new recruits," Ironwood said warmly addressing Winter by her first name rather than rank as most superior officers do.

"A lot of news sir. I'll summarize now but I feel it would be better if you managed to get the more specific details once we work out an arrangement for contacting them."

"Contacting who?"

"Our allies outside the walls. The other kingdoms know Atlas is failing and her citizens are restless. They've assembled a group led by the chieftain of Menagerie to help assist us to get back on our feet as soon as we bring down the wall."

"Ah, Menagerie. The Faunus haven built in the aftermath of the war. Who is the chieftain?"

"Ghira Belladonna, former prisoner of war here after betraying our troop positions in Mistral to give them a foothold on our shores who escaped with his wife during the riots and chaos following the transformation from Mantle to Atlas."

"Belladonna. That's your last name isn't it?" Ironwood asked pointing at Blake.

"Yes sir. They're my parents apparently. I was the one contacted first. They sent a large sum of money to help fund this revolution with to me along with a rather cryptic message before I was sent a letter with more specific instructions and more money," Blake explained.

"Interesting. And what forces do they have available? Or did they not say?"

"All they mentioned were special ops units from each kingdom and a large amount of hunters."

"Hunters are certainly capable, I remember how I lost my left half, it was to a hunter. Hunters seem almost magical at times, they possess unnatural powers. The one I fought cut down hundreds of men at once with his bare hand. His only hand, the other was replaced with a massive plasma cannon."

"Not magic sir, it's called a semblance. Everybody has one, you're obviously not aware of even this biggest conspiracy. People have ingrained powers shaped by their personalities along with energy fields projected by their bodies that accelerate healing and protect against injuries. It's called and aura and every bit of water and food produced under government regulation contains chemicals that suppress these abilities to prevent uprising. It's the main reason Mantle lost the war, our troops couldn't heal from a bullet wound naturally within a few hours of rest and painkillers."

"Do we have a supply of untainted food and water?"

"Yes, not much right now but we're able to get more," Winter answered.

"We'll need more direct sources. Anything else?"

"They can't do anything from outside until the walls are down. That's the biggest issue. They don't seem to be aware of the new installation across from Mistral, should we inform them?"

"What installation?" Blake asked.

"The council has decided that we need to begin expanding again and the first step should be a military outpost directly parallel to Mistral," Ironwood answered for Winter.

"Outpost is an understatement, it's a colossal gun emplacement designed to lob hundreds of shells capable of leveling a city block far enough south to hit halfway between Menagerie and Mistral. That's almost to the equator," Winter added.

"What are it's firing angle limitations?" Yang asked curiously.

"Three hundred and sixty degrees of full rotation, why?"

"Well I found the way to bring down the wall."

"There's no way we'd be able to take control of it through force or replacement, a quarter of our entire troop mass is stationed there."

"And who has more troop mass than that? Mistral, who just so happens to have a giant gun against their head now," Yang said confidence almost oozing from her speech.

"It will need to be a joint operation, they don't know the layout and we'll need more of a lead here at home before doing something so drastic," Ironwood suggested.

"From your description of hunters I feel like we'll only need half of how many they have to do this," Blake assured.

"Better to take all of them just in case, the more people there are the less chance of losing a few in the fight."

"Sir, do I have permission to begin phase two of the plan?"

"With haste, this will be much easier than expected now. We need to do what we can for recruitment and go public, at least partially. Get the presses going on those poster designs and have them posted everywhere, even the upper districts."

"Understood. Do you need anything else before I get these five settled in?"

"No, that will be all. I'm glad to have you here. Especially you two, your mothers were great soldiers and greater people."

"You knew our moms?" Ruby asked.

"Indeed I did, I served under both of them. They kept moral running high and weren't afraid to go against orders for the sake of preventing civilian casualties. I wouldn't be surprised if their disappearance was staged to get rid of them."

"Dad's sure they're dead, he knows they wouldn't have left us here otherwise."

"Taiyang Xiao Long was an optimist even in the worst situations, he must really have been hit hard by the official reports."

"Yeah. He still keeps them and brings them out on the anniversary of the cease fire," Yang said solemnly.

"If they did somehow survive being captured or left behind I'm sure they'd be the first ones in once the walls are down."

"That's a big if there General."

"They always are. Go ahead and get settled in, the belongings from your bunk have already been moved."

"Thank you sir."

* * *

The sound of boots clomping on concrete drew a pair of red eyes to the door of the command center.

"Ma'am, we have confirmation that there is resistance within Atlas. Contact has been made and further plans will be prepared for in time," a young soldier in full combat gear and night vision goggles announced.

The long haired woman he had addressed wasn't dressed like a soldier and sat on a bench sharpening a katana casually.

Without looking up she answered, "Good, any word on our next move or are we going to stay here? So close and yet so far away," the woman set down the blade and whetstone and stepped over to a table with a map set on it marking their location as just inland of the northernmost tip of Anima and just across the sea from Atlas.

"No word on our next move. Orders are to hold position and wait for the scouting party to return from their survey of the coast."

"She's always so thorough. I guess that's why I married her though. You're dismissed."

"Yes ma'am," the soldier left her alone in the command center of their camp.

Reaching into a pocket of her shirt the commander retrieved a folded picture. Unfolding the picture she was greeted by the smiles of a happy family. She looked younger then. Content. Her daughter was standing beside her and her husband who were next to a hospital bed where their wife lay holding their newborn daughter.

"We'll have it again. Soon."

She flipped the picture and reread the words she'd written on it once it had been printed.

 _"The newest addition, Ruby."_

She sighed before folding up and putting the picture back where it had been before. Walking over to the bench she'd been sitting on she picked up and sheathed the katana in the sheath that resembled a large rotating drum. Turning around she stepped out of the building and into the early morning twilight where dew gathered on high grass and the needles of evergreens.

"Another day closer," she muttered as she stared towards the slowly intensifying glow to the east.


End file.
